Tasty Planet

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

2012-01-28T17:16:00.000-05:00

I had these beautiful stalks of fresh rosemary left over from New Years Eve, and half a bag of potatoes, so I threw together this:

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed (this time I used organic russet)
Zest of 1 lemon, removed in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
freshly ground black, pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 475. I use my Pampered Chef large stone bar pan, and preheat the pan right in the oven. The preheated stone cookies with a nice even heat, and gives whatever you roast on it, a gorgeous brown, caramelized color!

While the oven heats up, place the olive oil and lemon zest strips in a microwave safe dish, and gently warm 30 seconds at a time, until fragrant. I think I did mine for a total of 1:30. (You can also do this in a small pot on the stove over low)

Add chopped rosemary and let sit in the warm oil for 10 minutes.

Toss cubed potatoes with the flavored oil on the preheated bar pan, spread evenly, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Great side dish for chickpea cutlets!!

Roast in oven for 10- 15 minutes, flip potatoes, and roast an additional 5-10 minutes, or until tender

Quesadilla Time!

2012-01-22T20:16:00.002-05:00

So today I had to work. The New England Patriots were playing in the AFC championship game, and I was at work for the entire duration. As a consolation prize, my boss bought us lunch! But my only choice was the pizza/burger snack bar next to our bookstore. It was Sunday, and the students have not moved back to campus yet, so pickings were slim. They do have a black bean and veggie quesadilla, which I could order with OUT cheese and sour cream. But, I have been told, that even loaded with cheese, it is still one of the blandest things on the planet....

So, I ordered one to-go, knowing I had my lovely Smokey Mountain Cheese sitting at home in my fridge, as well as a freshly baked batch of chorizo sausages from Viva Vegan. This was going to be good!

So, when I got home, I scraped the flavorless black beans, peppers and onions into a bowl. I think they just need to add a bit of salt and some cumin or chili powder... But either way, I was going to fix all that!

I added about 1/3 cup of the smokey mountain cheese, mixed it well, and zapped it in the microwave for a minute or two. Then I chopped up about 2/3 of a link of chorizo (I had nibbled a bit of the end earlier, just to see if it tasted good)! I sautéed the bite size pieces over medium heat in a pan with a bit of cooking spray until crispy, then tossed it into the cheesy vegetable mixture. I then RE-stuffed the tortillas, and placed them in my nonstick pan to get some brown action on them!

The result: packed with smokey, spicy flavor, melt on your mouth Mexican quesadilla goodness!! (If only I had guacamole...)

This MORE than made up for the fact that I missed the game... Now I can't wait for the SUPERBOWL, and the awesome game day grub I'm gonna make! GO PATS!! ^_^

Smokey Mountain Cheese!

2012-01-19T06:53:00.000-05:00

I am happily cooking my way through Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson, and loving every second of it!

At long last, I finally found agar-agar POWDER at the Asian Market down the street from my house. I've been searching for it everywhere, and these little packets were the perfect size for my initial investment.

*Telephone Brand* I like that!

I have lots of plans for these little packets, so I got two of them to start. Smokey Mountain Cheese was on the top of my list of recipes to try, (and then, there are some pies in Vegan Pie in the Sky that are next...)

The cheese came together quickly, which I liked, despite the fact that I threw paprika all over my counter trying to put the lid back on :/

Nice going... At least it was only my plain, sweet paprika, and not my beloved brand new jar of smoked!

So, now that I have this beautiful round of yummy cheese, what do I do with it??

I made the obligatory Grilled Cheese and Tomato sandwich:

NOMNOMNOM! Haven't had a grilled cheese in a while, so this was quite delicious!

Please excuse the grape tomatoes that I sliced, instead of actual tomato... I was improvising.

But, I'll ask again: What else (besides polishing this whole round off with a box of crackers)?!?

I was thinking maybe jalapeño poppers ^_^

What are your thoughts? All ideas welcome!

Recipe Testing: Greek Creamy Lemon Rice Soup, “No”govlemano

2012-01-13T21:24:00.000-05:00

"The Greek classic egg-lemon chicken soup gets a vegan makeover with the help both white beans... and a touch of arborio rice".

Warm, comforting and delicious, with just the perfect amount of lemon! This recipe is a winner, and I will be making it often. When L walked in the house, she said it smelled just like when her mom made it, so I'd say this recipe definitely stands up to Greek approval ^_^

Cannot WAIT for Terry's cookbook to come out... !!

Recipe Testing: Yu-Xiang Eggplant (Szechuan Spicy Eggplant)

2011-12-17T10:38:00.000-05:00

iPhone pic, not the best, but you get the idea!

HOORAY for trying new ingredients! And, let me tell you, testing for Terry Hope Romero's new international cookbook has really given me the opportunity to try all sorts of ingredients and spices I have never worked with before.

This recipe called for Chinese Garlic Bean Paste, something I had heard of, but certainly never used before. This condiment is made from fermented black soybeans, garlic, CHILI, and soy sauce. Conveniently, I have a wonderful Asian Market within walking distance from my house (Asian Market & Video!!) so I was able to find it easily.

Now, if you know me, you know I like things SPICY, but let me tell you, this Chinese Garlic Bean Paste came darn near close to blowing my head off!! And, I loved every second of it.

Although not a fan of eggplant, I do see myself making this sauce for a variety of different vegetables and perhaps tofu. I served mine over ramen noodles, which I thought was quite yummy ^_^

Recipe Testing: Lemon Coolers!

2011-12-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure WHAT possesd me to take on another recipe testing project, but when I saw a tweet asking for testers for VEGAN Holiday recipes, it was all I could do to contain myself!

These lovely little cookies are from Joni Marie Newman's (Self-appointed Queen of Veggie Burgers) upcoming cookbook: Vegan Food Gifts.

How exciting is that?! The bulk of my holiday gifts are baked cakes and cookies. Last year, I even made up batches of home made cinnamon granola. Testing for this book is a treat, because I already socked away forty of these lovely cookies in my freezer for the end of the month.

Think of these as a lemony twist on the holiday butterball cookie. The coating on these has a special suprise ingredient that adds a hint of tart to these sweet and lovely lemon cookies ^_^

Recipe Testing: Greek Village Salad with Cashew "Feta"

2011-12-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love the tangy bite of a fresh Greek-style salad? This recipe uses cashew pieces, marinated in a salty brine, as a stand-in for the feta cheese found in traditional Greek Salads.

I usually do a vegan feta that involves marinated tofu, so It’s nice to have another “feta” recipe that isn’t tofu based, for folks who can’t have soy.

Recipe Testing: Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblanos and Pickled Onions

2011-12-05T18:37:00.001-05:00

Another successful test from Terry Hope Romero's upcoming cookbook! Warm and comforting black bean soup, with a subtle hint of heat from the roasted poblanos. I took the time and soaked my black beans from scratch, which gave the most amazingly creamy texture to the beans in this soup.

I also learned how quick and simple it is to make pickled red onions, which will now become a regular soup, sandwich or burrito topper in our house.

As good as this soup was the day it was made, topped with pickled onions and some avocado, it got EVEN BETTER the next day!

Freshly Roasted Poblanos, right from the broiler!

Another winner, for me!
Thank you, Terry!

Our Thanksgiving Eats, 2011 Edition

2011-12-02T13:34:00.000-05:00

This year, I had much to be thankful for. My loving family and friends, my health, my home, and the delicious food that we were ALL able to share.

I am fortunate enough to be in charge of SIDES and DESSERTS on Thanksgiving, so even though there is a turkey served, I can eat the better part of the feast as well. It's a lot of work, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

You see, if you cook it well, AND it looks beautiful, no one even bats an eye that they are being served an entire feast of cruelty free vegan dishes!

Here is what I made this year:
Caramelized Butternut Squash

Always a hit, and so simple. Peel and de-seed three (3) Butternut Squash, and chop into 1" pieces. Peel and halve 4-6 shallots. Toss everything in a single layer on baking sheets with some olive oil (or melted Earth Balance Margarine), brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg (maybe some allspice too, depending on how I'm feeling). Roast in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, turning once or twice, until tender.

Harvest Green Beans

From the Penzey's Spice Catalogue! This dish is a nice change from the usual "Green Bean Casserole" we've all seen so many times. For those of you who aren't familiar with Penzey's spice blend Mural of Flavor, it is a salt-free mix of: shallots, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, basil, coriander, lemon peel, citric acid, black pepper, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, and orange peel.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb fresh green beans
1/2 cup pecans
2 tablespoons olive oil or 2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons Penzey's MURAL of FLAVOR, or your favorite salt-free seasoning
2 teaspoons agave nectar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash the beans, and cut the stem end off. (this can be done a day ahead of time).
2. To cook: Bring a pot of water (at least 2 quarts) to a rolling boil.
3. While the water is coming to a boil, heat the butter/oil in a medium pan and simmer on low with the pecans.
4. Once they are lightly browned, add the SESAME SEEDS and MURAL OF FLAVOR.
5. Add the green beans to boiling water and cook 2 minutes.
6. Drain and rinse the beans to stop the cooking, but leave them warm.
7. Drizzle the pecan mix with the honey, stir regularly, then when the beans have been drained and rinsed, add them to the pan and toss with the seasoned nut mix.
8. Place in a serving bowl.
9. Cover the bowl with foil and place in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Mashed Potatoes & Vegan Gravy (mostly for me)
Although my mother surprised me and pulled out some of her mashed potatoes that she mashed with Smart Balance instead of butter, so I had extra potatoes!

Posted by EmilyStrikesAgain @ Food.com, this recipe for Vegan Gravy is one of the simplest, BEST tasting gravies I've ever made. I use this 99.9% of the time when I need a basic, all-purpose gravy. 100% omnivore approved! I usually use shallot in place of the onion.

Broccoli Aglio Olio (With Garlic and Olive Oil)

Simple and delicious. A true Italian staple for any dinner. This recipe is just about the ONLY way my mother and grandmother cook their vegetables, and it's the way I do too!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb broccoli floret
1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 -4 garlic cloves, sliced thin (sometimes I mince too)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Steam broccoli over a pot of boiling water, or in a veggie steamer, for about 5 minutes.
2. Feel free to steam more or less, depending on how your family likes their veggies cooked.
3. Keep in mind that you will also be sautéing the broccoli in the next step.
4. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
5. Add the garlic and saute for about 45 seconds to impart its flavors into the oil.
6. Before the garlic begins to brown, add the red pepper flakes and broccoli to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

AND WHO CAN FORGET DESSERT!!!!

I want to personally thank Vegan Pie in the Sky, the third installment of Isa and Terry's dessert Trilogy, for the bulk of my inspiration this year! They were truly the stars of the show ^_^

We have, Maple Pecan Pie:

And Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crunch Topping (this literally blew my MIND it was so good)!!

And, then my version of Tarte aux Pommes, which you might remember from here:

And, there you have it! Vegan food fit for kings and queens, that stands up to even the most picky meat-eater, and even... my family. ^_^

Recipe Testing: White Rice & Black Beans

2011-11-18T12:15:00.001-05:00

Taken with Instagram for iPhone

This is the first recipe I tried as a tester for Terry Hope Romero's new International Cookbook, scheduled to hit shelves next Fall!

White Rice and Black Beans is Terry's delicious spin on the dish commonly know as 'Moors and Christians'. Now, if you already own Viva Vegan!, you KNOW that Terry's Latin inspired dishes are fantastic, so why should this one be any different. I chose this one first, because I had all the ingredients on hand in my pantry, and it could be simmered all in one pot. what i loved most about this recipe is that it was so simple, yet the flavors really shined! I served mine with fresh avocado slices, and of course, some hot sauce.

This dish happened to fall into the rotation for my weekly: 'Cooking with Becky & Kathy Night', and my dear friend, Kathy ended up taking ALL the leftovers home! I was actually sad, but to me, any guest who leaves with leftovers is a culinary success in my book! ^_^
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Big Thank You to all my MOFO Readers!

2011-11-08T13:07:00.002-05:00

I apologise for loosing some steam part way through, BUT, I sincerely appreciate ALL of you who took the time to take a peek, and leave comments on my blog!!

You see, I LOVE to cook. Whether it's following an intricate recipe for the first time, or raiding my pantry for a quick weeknight meal, the process of putting together and cooking (vegan) meals brings me nothing but joy. [Like AS excited as that little monster on my magnet up there!!]

My 6-year old iMac is showing signs of dimentia, so that has seriously put a cramp in my computer blogging time...

BUT...

I am happy to announce that I am helping Terry Hope Romero test recipes for her new International Cookbook! So if you are tempted by Food Porn, please visit again for some new photos, and preview some FANTASTIC dishes from around the world ^_^

My Vegan Birthday Cake!

2011-10-31T15:30:00.005-04:00

Taken with Instagram for iPhone

My mom made me a vegan birthday cake! So proud of her for taking the time to look up a special recipe. She actually found the same "Wacky Cake" with chocolate glaze that I use!
http://www.food.com/recipe/best-wacky-cake-ever-with-chocolate-glaze-461330

Check it out, it's a winner.

Happy Halloween, everyone! (^_^)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Favorite Sauteed Kale

2011-10-19T16:50:00.000-04:00

Photo by Spongebob Chefpants!

Today, I am sharing one of my favorite kale recipes, as well as sharing the photo talents of some of my online cooking buddies over at Food.com.

Now, as food bloggers, we all know a picture is worth a thousand words. But sometimes timing, lighting and HUNGER are not always on our side! I have yet to snap a decent picture of my sauteed kale, but some of my internet cooking friends, who were nice enough to take the time to make and review my recipe, did! Photo credits with links under each pic! I encourage you to check out their recipes on Food.com, and while they might not be vegans, they are both 'veggie friendly'. After all, they did both take the time to make sauteed KALE, (quite beautifully, I might add), so I think that maybe gives them an honorary degree...

Photo by Rita~

MY FAVORITE SAUTEED KALE

I LOVE kale and this is how I like to make it almost every time. It is simple and delicious.

Now, I am a hot pepper flake chick, but if that's too much for you, just leave it out. Great as a side dish, but I can eat this as my main meal, maybe just add some chickpeas or cannelini beans in at the end of cooking time. If stems aren't your thing, leave them out. I usually de-stem the leaves, then chop up the tender parts of the stems, leaving the rough ends behind.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock or 1/2 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and let them sizzle a bit in the oil.
Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored.
Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all (most) the liquid has evaporated. I like the kale to still remain bright-ish green.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

Photo by Rita~

Humble Home-Cooked Beans

2011-10-15T17:40:00.000-04:00

I do love the convenience of canned beans, but a while back, I figured I'd get my tail in gear and learn how to make them from scratch. Here was the first recipe I ever tried.

About the time I get home from work, Jamie Oliver's show, JAMIE AT HOME is usually on the Cooking Chanel. I find myself drawn to this show because I am a HUGE fan of Jamie's simple and rustic style, and his drop-dead GORGEOUS garden (which he probably does not tend himself, but, oh well...) Even thought there is meat on most of the plates he creates, I still find there is a lot of inspiration to be had here.

So when a vegan recipe comes along on his show, I get a little excited!

"My first thought when I saw these beans on a menu in Italy was "Beans on toast?" But then I tasted them. I felt pretty humbled that such a simple dish had been made to taste so gorgeous". Jamie Oliver

I don't think I'll ever buy white beans in a can again. I LOVE the flavor in this recipe!! It's finally nice and refreshing to see a bean recipe on network television, cooked from scratch, with OUT using bacon, salt pork or pancetta in the base :) This makes a wonderful side dish to a Mediterranean meal, or served as bruscetta over toasted garlic bread.

I did find his use of cherry tomatoes in the cooking liquid a bit out of the ordinary. I had read TONS of cookbooks and blogs about cooking beans from scratch, and they all had the general consensus that acidic foods should NOT be used when cooking beans... But, I figured if it works for Jamie (and he has a cooking show, restaurants and cookbooks deals) it can work for me. Plus, what's the harm in two cherry tomatoes with their skins on anyway...

HUMBLE HOME-COOKED BEANS

Ingredients
For the beans:
11 oz dried cannellini beans, soaked in cold water for at least 12 hours (the 11 oz is translated from the English original: 300 grams. I used 1 lb of dried beans, and it was just fine)
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
A few sprigs fresh thyme
A sprig fresh rosemary
3 bay leaves
1 stick celery, trimmed
1 small potato, peeled and halved
2 cherry tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil
Red wine vinegar
4 slices rustic Italian bread

Drain the soaked beans, then give them a good wash.
Place them in a deep pot and cover them with cold water.
Throw in the garlic, herb sprigs, bay leaves, celery stick, potato and tomatoes.
Place the beans on the heat and slowly bring to the boil.
Cover with a lid and simmer very gently for 45 minutes to an hour, until soft and cooked nicely. Skim if necessary, topping up with boiling water from the kettle if you need to.
When the beans are cooked, drain them in a colander, reserving enough of the cooking water to cover them halfway up when put back in the pot.
Remove the garlic, herbs, celery, potato and tomatoes from the beans. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and pinch the skin off the tomatoes.
Put the garlic, tomatoes and potato onto a plate, mash them with a fork and stir back into the beans.
Season well with salt and pepper, and pour in up to 3 TBSP of extra-virgin olive oil and a few splashes of vinegar.
Serve on some toasted crusty Italian bread. I brushed mine with olive oil and garlic

I have to say, this could very well be my request for last meal! ^_^

So, if you have yet to venture into the world of dried beans, I encourage you to give it a go! Not only can you save yourself lots of $$$, but the taste and texture of a fresh batch of home cooked beans beats canned any day...

Spicy, Smokey Tomatillo Salsa

2011-10-12T20:37:00.001-04:00

Smoky, Spicy Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Recipe here, by Rita~ at Food.com.

TRY IT, you will NOT be disappointed!!

This had to have been one of the BEST homemade salsas I've EVER tasted. Not only is this gorgeously green, refreshing and FULL of flavor, but it is so easy to make as well.

Because I was making this for a party, and was not sure the heat tolerance of all of the guests, I used one (1) whole habanero, but only HALF of the seeds. It was great, just the right hint of heat at the end. Now that I've tasted it once, I know I can use the whole habanero; seeds and all, without it being too spicy. The fresh herbs REALLY make this something else. I LOVE cilantro, but the addition of fresh basil is simply PERFECT. There was not a DROP of this left and everyone asked for the recipe.

I have seen quite a few roasted tomatillo salsa recipes here on Vegan MOFO, which I am dying to try because I love this one so... If you have any you would like to recommend, spicy OR mild, please send them my way ^_^

LOL, a little home town team fun!

Apple Tart: (or Forgotten Pie Crust; Best one Yet)

2011-10-08T18:30:00.009-04:00

iPhone Pic

Sorry it's another apple dessert, but I'm getting my practice in for Thanksgiving!!

So, I had a few, lonley Honeycrisp Apples left from my Farmer's Market haul. Not quite enough for a full blown pie, so I though an apple tart would show them off nicely. I had bought an inexpensive tart pan a year or so back, which I have NEVER used. It even has fluted edges and a removable bottom; how very exciting!

I went back to my original pie crust recipe for this one, cutting in in HALF, because I just needed a tart 'bottom', with enough extra bits to fold over the edges.

Basic Flaky Pie Crust (Vegan)

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup margarine, non-hydrogenated (I use Earth Balance)
1/4 cup ice water, plus 1 tbsp ice water as needed

Now, I don't usually commit to making pies on weeknights, but the urge was there, so I went with it. I cubed up all my shortening and Earth Balance on a little plate, measured out my flour in a stainless steel bowl, and proceeded to place them both in the freezer to chill, as I always do. And then, fell asleep...

I woke up, slightly dazed, and decided that the crust ingredients would be fine in the freezer until tomorrow, and went to bed. And they were. Next day after work, I figured I'd better make this bad boy, so I pulled out the butter and shortening cubes to let them thaw, so as not destroy my food processor when I pulsed. The dough came together nicely. So, I scooped it out into a disk, wrapped it in saran wrap and placed it in the fridge to chill for 40 mins. And then, my urge to bake a tart had suddenly left...

"Well, the crust is done, and ready to go," I thought. "I'll just bang this thing out tomorrow when I'm fresh."

Okay, THURSDAY night after work (I started this on Tuesday...) THURSDAY, I came home from work, determined to have apple tart made, come hell or high water! I pulled my 'crust disk' out of the fridge to get the chill off before I rolled it out. I peeled three (3) apples, sliced them with my apple slicer and THEN cut each slice into 4, to make beautiful, thin pieces. The crust rolled out like a dream. I think I let it get a bit more room temperature than normal, which is odd because I am usually paranoid about the crust getting too warm. Perhaps, that is part of my problem... rolling the dough out too cold(?!) Anyhow, the crust fit nicely into the tart pan, with just enough hanging over to fold. But I felt the fat melting a bit, so I put the crust into the freezer while I finished preparing the apples.

I read a couple of different tart recipes online where the sugar and spice were sprinkled over the apples after they were arranged in the tart pan. So, I went to work arranging my little apple slices in co centric circles, overlapping each other, working from the outside, in. I then sprinkled them with 2 TBSP of sugar, about 1 tsp of cinnamon, and then a few shakes of Cinnamon PLUS from Pampered Chef (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and a bit of orange peel). I folded the edges of the crust over onto the outer edge of the apples, and brushed the entire top with 2-3 tbsp of melted Earth Balance. For an extra, special good measure, I also sprinkled the crust with extra sugar and cinnamon.

Bake your lovely tart at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Many of the tart recipes online also had the last and final step of glazing the top, right out of the oven, with a type of jam or jelly. I had in the fridge, a jar of Holiday Jam, from Stonewall Kitchen, which is a mixture of pear, cranberry and raspberry with a hint of orange. I thought this fit the bill nicely, and the jar was almost done. So I nuked what was left in the microwave, about 2 tbsp, and brushed the top of the entire tart before it cooled.

I don't know if it was freezing the butter/shortning cubes overnight, letting the dough rest in saran overnight, putting the rolled dough in the freezer before I baked it, or dousing the whole top in Earth Balance, but the crust on this tart was one of the BEST I have ever made OR tasted. So flaky and delicious, and omni-approved; it absolutely melted in your mouth. My boss at work, (the Martha Stewart of cakes and baking I call her) even asked for the recipe. And, my mother requested this tart (not apple pie) for Thanksgiving. Well, hey, I'll take it... Impressing people with vegan treats always puts a smile on my face ^_^

Smoothie To-Go!

2011-10-06T23:30:00.015-04:00

Been cooking a lot of food lately... And I mean A LOT! This Vegan MOFO is kicking my but, and I have enough leftovers in my fridge and freezer to last me all Winter.

Some days, you just need to start off with some raw liquid sunshine!

Here we have:
1/2 of a Honey Crisp Apple (peeled & cored)
2/3 of a ripe frozen banana
1 cup frozen Mango (Trader Joe's)
1/2 tsp cracked Flax Seeds
Fresh Orange Juice to cover

Blend until smooth! Pour into jar (above we have a clean, de-labeled Veganaise jar), screw on the lid and your are ready to hit the road. ^_^

Cheezy Artichoke Crostini

2011-10-05T21:49:00.002-04:00

PPK Cookbook Challenge Week Three: Colleen Patrick Goudreau

Since the folks over on the PPK website are cooking from Colleen Patrick Goudreau's cookbooks, I decided to take some inspiration from them and follow suit.

Although I do have Joy of Vegan Baking and Vegan Table, this dish was inspired from Color Me Vegan. Colleen was nice enough to post some sample recipes here, on her website. For the dish above, I used the cashew cream part of the Black Olive Bruschetta with Cashew Cream. Since I had no black olives on hand, I decided to mix in a can of artichoke hearts instead. I then added some extra garlic and nutritional yeast to give it a bit more cheezy artichoke dip flavor.

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional oil for brushing
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon miso (white or yellow)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 -2 garlic clove, minced
1 -2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can artichokes, chopped
1 baguette, sliced
fresh chives, minced, for garnish

Directions

Soak the cashews overnight in just enough water to completely cover them. The next day, drain and rinse the cashews, then set aside.
In a medium sauté pan, sauté the onions in the 1 tablespoon of oil until translucent and tender, about 5 to
Place the soaked cashews, sautéed onions, miso, lemon juice, minced garlic and water into a blender and process until smooth.
Mix in the chopped artichokes, and nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, to taste.
In the meantime, preheat broiler to high.
Brush the baguette slices with a light layer of olive oil and broil for 2-4 minutes, watching closely to not burn.
Top each toasted slice with 1-2 tbsp of the cheezy artichoke spread then sprinkle with chives.

I was fortunate enough to hear Colleen speak at a book signing here in little Rhode Island. I actually found out about it by accident, but had time to rush down to the Barnes & Noble in Warwick with my books to get them signed! I have listened to her podcasts many times, and I must say, she is EVERY bit as inspiring and enthusiastic about veganism in person ^_^

Oh, Smoky Curls, You are Shamefully Addictive

2011-10-04T19:00:00.001-04:00

I would almost have to say: It is a sin how good these are... Perfect for Sunday Brunch, next to a huge stack of pancakes. And don't even get me started on how amazing these are on whole wheat toast slathered with Veganaise, lettuce and tomato...

If you don't have Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson, run to your nearest bookstore and buy it!! I have this cookbook on my Nook Color, and I have to say, every recipe I've tried so far has been a winner! Google books just so happens to have a sneak peek of the Smoky Soy Curl recipe here, if you'd like to check it out.

So, Soy Curls...

When dry, they kind of remind me of shriveled up witches' fingers Not very appetizing, I know, but when re-hydrated, these little babies take on a life of their own! Soy Curls are not sold in stores anywhere in Rhode Island, so I decided to order me some bags to keep in the pantry. I ordered quite a few... but the price was better the more you bought!! They also threw in a container of their Chickn Seasoning too, (kewl)!

The beauty of the soy curl is two-fold.
ONE: although they are technically a processed soy product, Soy curls are actually made from certified Non-GMO, WHOLE soybeans, grown without chemical pesticides. Many of the vegan "meat" products on the market today are made with “soy protein isolates”. These protein isolates are obtained through a rigorous chemical process, often using the chemical hexane, where the soy protein is actually separated from the fat of the soybean. Thankfully, soy curls leave this chemical bath behind when making their product
TWO: Soy curls have no FLAVOR, whatsoever. Which gives you, the cook, the power to impart any flavor your heart desires! The suggested method of re hydration from the Soy Curls website is plain ol' boiling water. I always thought that was a little pedestrian, considering there are so many broths and spices one could use to infuse flavor RIGHT into the curl! I'm thinking something more like veggie broth, a splash of soy or Bragg's, some sage, thyme or rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder...something!

That's what makes Julie's recipe so great. The curls are re hydrated in a mix of water, soy sauce and LIQUID SMOKE, the vegan equivalent of smoky, bacon-flavored goodness! These smoky curls can be whipped up, marinated, and sauteed to a crispy-sweet and smoky goodness in about 15 minutes. Julie's recipe, as written, makes an abundance of smoky curls!

I have about a third of them leftover, and am going to attempt a Pasta Carbonara. Will let you know how it goes! If I can pull it off, my meat-eating better half will be MINE foreverrrrr!! ^_^

One More Eggplant Triumph!

2011-10-03T17:00:00.003-04:00

Fellow eggplant haters, are you still with me?!

Today I have one more delicious recipe that utilizes my (I guess we could say 'former') arch nemesis, the Eggplant.

Roasted Eggplant Spread
(adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa)
I 've never gone wrong with veganizing any of her recipes, and this one was actually vegan as written!

Ingredients
1 medium eggplant
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion in half.
Spread them face down, along with the garlic, on a baking sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, flipping once during cooking.
Cool slightly.
Remove the flesh from the eggplant, and the seeds from the peppers.
Roughly chop and place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and a tbsp of olive oil and blend.
Pulse 3-4 times for more texture, or blend until smoother, your choice. I blended mine a bit more smooth.
Taste for salt and pepper.

*If you have jarred roasted red peppers on hand, those work great in this too!!

This dip has a wonderful roasted flavor and tastes amazing. The roasted red pepper and the tomato paste add a fresh Mediterranean flavor to this. Fresh oregano or basil would be a nice addition as well. This dip is great spread right on plain bread, pitas, crackers, use it as a sandwich spread OR make mini pizza bites!

iPhone pic :P

Fresh baguette topped with eggplant spread and a sprinkle of Daiya Mozzarella, baked at 450 for 10-15 minutes.

Now that I have given eggplant a second chance, (and have actually found some new ways to enjoy it), I thought I'd look up its nutritional benefits:

"Eggplant is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, which can help protect against colon cancer and keeps the digestive system regular. The vitamins in eggplant consist primarily of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), B vitamins, folate and vitamin C. Eggplant is also rich in minerals, boasting a large quantity of potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorous. With no fat, six carbs and 27 calories in a 1-cup serving, eggplant makes an excellent addition to any diet".
(From livestrong.com)

(B vitamins, huh? How great is that?!)
So there you go! Eat your Eggplant! ^_^

(I will post something other than eggplant tomorrow, I promise)

Confessions of an Eggplant Hater

2011-10-01T09:35:00.005-04:00

Haters gonna hate, and let me tell you, my distaste for these squat, purple little vegetables runs quite deep. Who's with me here?!? I've had more soggy, mushy, bitter skinned eggplant dishes in my lifetime than I care to count. And, don't even get me started on the SEEDS. There's nothing worse that biting into a perfectly crisp, fried eggplant sandwich, only to find yourself with a mouthful of bitter seeds... blahhh!!

So when my friend brought me over a cute little eggplant that she grew herself in her garden, I was less than enthused. How can I possible make this into something I'd actually want to eat?!

So falafels came to mind, (as they so often do), and I thought I'd try my hand at some Baba Ghanouj

Baba Ghanouj - Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip

1 eggplant (1 medium or 2 small)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 parsley, minced
black pepper, to taste
1 pinch cayenne (optional, bu I like a little spice)

For garnish
olive oil
parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Line baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with non stick cooking spray.
Slice eggplant(s) in half lengthwise, and place face-down on baking sheet.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until very tender.
Cool until comfortable to handle.
Scoop out the eggplant flesh and discard the skin.
Place in food processor with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, salt and coriander.
Puree until smooth.
Add minced parsley and pulse to combine.
Pour into bowl, check for salt, add pepper and cayenne (if using).
Chill for half hour, or until ready to serve.
Top with a drizzle of olive oil and some parsley.

I served this as a spread on homemade falafels, and had the leftovers with pitas. ^_^

First Apple Pie of Autumn

2011-10-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

In honor of my super-awesome new Cranberry Stone Pie Plate from Pampered Chef, and the luscious bag of Honey Crisp Apples I scored at the Farmer's Market, I give you my first pie of the season:

Another iPhone pic, sorry

I don't know about you, but I can not WAIT for Isa and Terry's new cookbook: Vegan Pie in the Sky to come out in October. The PPK website has shown us a few mouth watering previews of what's to come, and THIS pecan pie recipe ALONE has sold me on the book. But, alas, none of the previews have included the actual pastry pie CRUST recipe. I realize they can't give too many recipes away in advance, but I, for one, am VERY interested to see what their secret is!

In the past, I've used this Flaky Pie Crust recipe, with excellent results. But, I've had Vegan Pie in the Sky on the mind, so I went back to Veganomincon to see IF there was a pie crust there... and there was!

Veganomicon's crust has a couple extra ingredients that my original pie crust recipe does not: a bit of baking powder, and a touch of apple cider vinegar. Both of these ingredients ensure a bit of tenderness to the flour for the ultimate "tender, yet flaky" pie crust perfection. (Alton Brown is my hero...)

I am not sure I tasted a huge difference between this crust, and my old stand-by, BUT I am definitely willing to try this recipe again... (I did also purchase a pie shield for my next attempt). Reviews of the pie were favorable, overall, but the edges of my crust did get a little bit dry for my liking.

Now for the apples:

My usual "go-to" mix of apples for pie are half Granny Smith and half Golden Delicious.

When I made this pie, I had on hand, a beautiful bag of Honey Crisp from a local orchard here in Rhode Island.

I googled a bit about the use of Honey Crisp in apple pie, and found some mixed results: Some say NEVER, some say they have inconsistent results, and some say AMAZING.

I, however, decided to go for it: ALL Honey Crisp, five (5) apples in total. I did add 3 TBSP of flour instead of my usual 2, because Honey Crisp are super juicy, and I didn't want a runny pie. I also used 1/4 cup organic white sugar and 1/4 dark brown. MY RESULTS: I loved it, Two thumbs way up! The apples baked up nice and tender, with the perfect hint of cinnamon-y sweetness. No runny pie at all! ^_^

What are your favorite apples to use in pies?

Friday Night Cookin' Part II: Garden Bruschetta

2011-09-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

Toasted Baguette, topped with Cashew Ricotta, Basil Pesto, Baby Spinach Leaves and Rosemary Oven Roasted Plum and Cherry Tomatoes...

(party in my mouth) ^_^

How we did it:
Friday afternoons, we have a small but amazing Farmer's Market here on the campus where I work. It is literally two steps outside of my building, which is so very convenient. If you get there early, they usually have freshly baked baguettes for sale: perfect for bruschetta!

As an unexpected BONUS, Kathy harvested a bunch of fresh basil from her garden, and brought packages of PINE NUTS, the coveted dream ingredient for the perfect pesto. Pine nuts are pricey, to say the least, and I almost NEVER have them on hand. Most of the time, I make my pesto with toasted walnuts instead, so this was a nice treat!

I have to say, this was one of my better efforts! I made it in my blender, so I used a bit more olive oil than I usually do. But, I have to say, I really liked the consistancy of the pesto from the blender a bit better than the food processor. Go figure...

And now for these gorgeous tomatoes!!

We decided to oven roast them at 450 for about 20 minutes, along with a head of garlic. I had some lovely rosemary branches from another friend's garden, so Kathy pulled some of the leaves off and skewered the giant cherry tomatoes on the fresh rosemary branches. This imparted the most WONDERFUL rosemary flavor, and made my kitchen smell absolutely divine! It also looks really classy too.

Out of the oven!

So now we build our Bruschetta:

Slice your baguette around 1/2" thick

Lightly brush with olive oil and spinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

I usually broil the bruschetta on high for 3-5 minutes, but since we already had the oven set to 450, we toasted them on the top shelf for 10 minutes or so.

Remove baguette slices and then rub each piece with a garlic clove.

Spread each slice with tofu ricotta and top with a spoonful of fresh basil.

Top each slice with a baby spinach leaf (or two), and then finish it off with some oven roasted tomatoes

Kick back with a glass of red wine, and pat yourself on the back for creating: Bruschetta of the Gods

Friday Night Cookin' with Becky & Kathy

2011-09-28T11:43:00.008-04:00

Another fabulous Friday of cooking with my favorite vegan friendly omnivore!

In an attempt to highlight the bounty of tomatoes and herbs from Kathy's garden, we planned a night of Bruschetta, and Homemade Garden Tomato Soup.

Kathy was kind enough to bring most of the ingredients right from her garden (YES!). She only requested I make ricotta cheese, (or "some ricotta cheese vegan thing-y", as she calls it), which, I could gladly oblige.

This one came out really well. I was pleased!

My new favorite method for making vegan ricotta is actually a mix of the Tofu Ricotta AND the Cashew Ricotta recipes from Veganomicon. The texture of the tofu is a perfect base, and the pureed cashews, lemon juice and olive oil add just the right creaminess. I also like to add nutritional yeast to taste, which gives the ricotta that extra nutty, cheese-like flavor. The addition of nutritional yeast is only in the TOFU Ricotta recipe, and not in the Cashew version. I like to live large and add it anyway.

And now for the soup: I think Kathy harvested every plum tomato she had! So we went to work washing and scoring the bottoms with a little "x", then dropping them into a pot of boiling water. About 20 seconds later, we plunged them into a giant bowl of ice water and started peeling! I must say, this task is much more fast and painless with two rather than one! :) And boy was it worth it.

No fancy recipe, just taste as you go!

GARDEN FRESH TOMATO SOUP

Half a large onion, diced

2-3 cloves, chopped garlic

3 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped

Olive oil

Vegetable Stock

Fresh Rosemary and Oregano

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Sautee onions and garlic for 5 mintues until tender.
Add tomatoes and stir well.
Simmer for about 20 minutes, and puree in a blender to dseired consistancy.

A stick blender would have come in really handy here. I'll get one of those someday... We decided to leave the soup with a bit of texture instead of pureeing it totally smooth - mostly because it was molten hot, and we were too hungry to wait for it to cool and safely blend it all the way.

Place 1 large spoonful of cashew ricotta in the middle of your soup bowl, then ladle in the garden fresh tomato goodness...DELICIOUS! ^_^

My Favorite Pesto

2011-09-23T10:31:00.005-04:00

Now that I have a food processor, I find that making pesto is SO much easier than when I used my blender. This pesto contains no cheese, but the nuttiness from the toasted walnuts and the nutritional yeast give it the perfect balance of flavor. Nutritional yeast makes an excellent vegan substitute for Parmesan because of its slightly salty, cheesy and nutty flavor. It is low in fat, high in protein and B vitamins, and it is not made with any animal products. I do like to take the extra time and toast the walnuts in the oven to really bring out their flavor. You may, of course, use pine nuts as well, but I find I have walnuts on hand more often, since they are a bit less expensive. The pesto pictured about was made with minimal olive oil (roughly 1/4 cup) and so it is quite thick - perfect for tossing into warm pasta. I do sometimes add more oil (1/2 - 3/4 cup) to make the pesto more spreadable (or drizzle able), in order to top grilled bread, or use as a garnish.

MY FAVORITE PESTO
Recipe
3 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup walnut halves (or the traditional pine nuts)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 cup olive oil, or more to get the blended consistency you like
2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)
1/8-1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
To toast walnuts: Preheat oven to 350
Spread nuts on baking sheet and toast for 5-10 minutes, or until fragrant.
Add toasted walnuts to food processor, and pulse until crumbly.
Add basil leaves and garlic and pulse to combine.
Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, be sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl to combine evenly.
Check for salt, and adjust as needed.
Pesto can then be used in your favorite pasta recipe, or stored in the fridge an airtight container for up to a week.
You may also freeze your pesto in ice cube trays, and then transfer the cubes to zip lock bags, to enjoy the bright beautiful taste of pesto throughout the Winter!

** For my Italian heritage, a bit of history for you ^_^
Traditional pesto hails from the Liguria region in Northwest Italy. It is here, in the thriving port city of GENOVA, where the infamous 'Pesto Genovese' gets its name. One reason this sauce was (and still is) so popular in the region of Liguria is because of the mineral-rich seaside soil and temperate climate, perfect for growing beautiful, green basil. Old Italian legend has it that pesto got its name from the way it was traditionally prepared: with a mortar and pestle (mortaio e pestello). With a gentle turn of the wrist, sweet basil leaves are squeezed with garlic, pine nuts and olive oil against a ceramic mortar and wooden pestle. While this slow, yet deliberate process gently coaxed the flavors from the basil, oil, and pine nuts, most modern day cooks prefer the help of a blender or food processor.

I actually do have a lovely marble mortar and pestle. It sits on my counter, more as a decoration than a kitchen tool. Perhaps one day, when I am feeling a bit rustic, I will bust it out, and grind me some pesto the authentic way! ^_^

Roasted Peanut Slaw

2011-08-01T22:11:00.001-04:00

So, I rescued a giant cabbage from my mother's fridge, before she went away for a week. Feeling a bit sad that this beautiful red cabbage might meet its impending doom, rotting away in the bottom drawer, I stole it away with the intent of using it in....something.

Fast forward a couple days, as I sit and flip through the TV channels... Switching between cooking shows and Criminal Minds... I spied a perky little blonde called Kelsey, on her show Kelsey's Essentials, making a fresh and simple dish she called Roasted Peanut Slaw.

With a few modifications to suit my own taste, and to accommodate what I had on hand, I came up with this recipe, and gave my cabbage a meaningful existence.

iPhone pic

Roasted Peanut Slaw
Adapted from Kelsey's Essentials (Cooking Channel)

1 medium head purple cabbage, shredded
5 scallions, thinly sliced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup rice vinegar
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter, unsweetened natural
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup canola oil

Toss the cabbage with the scallions, jalapenos, basil and peanuts. Season with salt and pepper.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil and sugar together. Slowly whisk in the canola oil until dressing is emulsified.
Toss the dressing with the cabbage and garnish with roasted peanuts before serving.

Changes I made, and why:
My cabbage was purple, hers was Napa. She used cilantro, which I'm sure would have been amazing. I, however, has just gotten a giant zip lock bag of fresh basil from my boss, and had no cilantro... I had a bag of jalapenos from Trader Joe's that were burning a hole in my veggie bin, so I minced up a couple and hoped for the best. She recommended JIFFY as the brand of smooth peanut butter. I have never bought Jiffy peanut butter in my life, and used unsweetened natural peanut butter. She used 1/2 cup of oil, but I got away with half that amount. And for "ha-has" I splashed in some Shaoxing rice wine along with the regular rice wine vinegar.

The end result: Delicious! A crisp, sweet and spicy salad, that I've been taking to lunch with me all week cuz it made a TON!! ^_^

Mango Fruit Salsa

2011-07-07T19:57:00.014-04:00

Last month, I attended my friend Jess' Pampered Chef Party! Usually, I am not one for "overly-specific" kitchen gadgets, but any party that involves food, and is centered all around cooking is fine by me!

(In all fairness, I do have quite a few Pampered Chef items, and I use them ALL the time; Some, almost every day).

Almost can't live with out this!

I had so much fun at Jess' party, that I decided to have one of my own: VEGAN style! My Pampered chef consultant was rather excited to do an all vegan version of her Pampered Chef demo, especially since she had never done anything like that before. We decided on two recipes: Mango Fruit Salsa, to highlight the new Manual Food Processor, and Mediterranean Hummus Flat bread Pizza - no cheese needed!

This salsa recipe is so simple to prepare, and tastes wonderful. I even made this for two cookouts this Fourth of July, and it was a huge both times.

Don't worry if you don't have the Pampered Chef manual food processor. I find that I can dice the fruit with my knife just fine, and it even comes out a little neater looking; The manual food processor just saves time. Please feel free to use lemon OR lime, for juice and zest. I've used both, and they both work well. Depending on the sweetness of the fruit, I add agave nectar to taste, no more than 1 tbsp usually. Serve with Stacey's Cinnamon Sugar pita chips, or your own home made pita chips. This is also amazing served over ice cream! I believe 1/2 cup salsa = 2 Weight Watchers Points

RECIPE:

1 cup strawberry, hulled and diced
1 kiwi, peeled and diced
1 mango, ripe
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
agave nectar, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. If not using the Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor, try and chop your fruit into uniform 1/4 - 1/2" cubes.
2. For the mango, I usually peel the skin off first with my vegetable peeler, and chop a small slice off the top and bottom. That way it stays flat on my board as I slice around the pit.
3. The pit of the mango is large and flat. When you slice off a bit of the top and bottom, you can see its shape. I usually cut down the two wide sides of the mango first, and then carefully slice down the thinner sides to make sure I get all of the beautiful yellow mango off the pit.
4. Ripe mango is very slippery, so carefully slice fruit and dice into cubes.
5. Add all fruit to a large bowl.
6. Add lime (or lemon) zest and juice.
7. Taste, and add agave nectar, up to 1 tablespoons.
8. Serve with cinnamon pita chips.

My gift for hosting a show was this awesome Cool 'N Serve Tray, that has two green panels that you can put in the freezer. When you take your yummy salsa to a cookout in the sun, your fruits and veggies stay nice and cool ^_^

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

2011-07-07T18:59:00.000-04:00

Pillsbury "GRANDS", step aside. There's some pure, non-hydrogenated goodness coming from my kitchen.

I follow a lot of vegans on Twitter, and occasionally, a recipe pops up in my Twitter feed that really catches my eye. The recipe for the flaky, fluffy pillows of goodness pictured above, comes from the blog: Where's the Revolution. I posted a direct link to it so you can check it out and try them; I guarantee, you will NOT be disappointed!!

I'm not on Twitter a lot, so I am quite surprised that I even caught Bazu's tweet. It must have been fate, because at the time, I just so happened to be looking for a simple, yet mind blowing, flaky biscuit recipe!! So I marked it with a star, and vowed to get back to it later... (it ended up being months later, but better late than never...)

Now, some background on me and biscuit making:

I have tried the Vegan with a Vengeance Biscuits and Tempeh Sausage gravy recipe:

Gravy was two thumbs up for me, but not so much for L (who is an avid tempeh hater, and devout sausage gravy fan...) Probably not the best gravy to make for her, but, oh well, I tried.

The biscuits turned out pretty well too, except for the fact that I did not have biscuit cutters at the time, and resorted to using a glass. Definitely not the best move on my part, as you can see: I committed the cardinal sin of biscuit making by twisting the glass to cut through my dough, resulting in no fluffy, flaky sides at all :(

So, one Pampered Chef party later, and I had me some brand new biscuit cutters in FOUR sizes!!

These work wonderfully! Can you see the difference between the ones above and these?

I though so!

So, for a change of pace, one weekend morning, treat yourself to some home made baked biscuits. I serve mine piping hot from the oven, with lots of Earth Balance vegan margarine, and blackberry or strawberry jam. A batch of ten can usually serve TWO in my house ^_^

Home-Style Refried Beans - Viva Vegan

2011-05-24T11:59:00.001-04:00

If you're as big a Mexican food fan as I am, you've probably spiced up a can or two of refried beans in your lifetime. Don't get me wrong, in a pinch, a good can o'refried beans makes one mean burrito, BUT taking the time to make, season, simmer and mash them from scratch really, REALLY makes a difference. My all-purpose, standby recipe for giving some kick to canned pintos can be found here. But I'm a sucker for trying new recipes...

Not very photogenic, but delicious indeed...

Enter VIVA VEGAN by Terry Hope Romero. Perhaps, one of my most greatly anticipated cookbooks. I am proud to say this was the first book that I purchased in E-Book form for my NOOK Color.

But, before I was able to actually buy Viva Vegan, I found the recipe for the coveted refried beans here online.

Home-Style Refried Beans
2 tbsp corn, peanut or olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced small
1 to 2 jalapeno or Serrano chilies, seeded and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground chili powder such as ancho or a blend
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto, black or pink beans, drained and rinsed, or 3 - 4 cups cooked beans
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
Salt and fresh pepper

1. In a large heave cast-iron skilled, combine the oil and garlic and cook over medium heat. Allow the garlic to sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the onion and jalapeno. Using a wooden spoon to stir occasionally, fry until the onions turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the cumin, oregano, and chili powder, and fry for another 30 seconds.

2. Stir in the beans, bay leaf, and water, and increase heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium again and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until more than half the liquid has been absorbed, but about an inch of liquid remains.

3. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Use a potato masher to mash the beans smooth, then stir to form a thick, moist paste, anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. If refried beans appear to dry out, add a little water a few tablespoons at a time, until your desired consistency is reached.

I really like the authenticity of this recipe, and I REALLY like how fresh the beans taste. Like, you can really taste the bean itself, as well as all the yummy onion, garlic and chili. (hooray for chili, and please use the full two (2) that Terry's recipe calls for, don't be shy)!

The first time I made this recipe, I was fortunate enough to have JUST soaked and simmered a luscious pot of pinto beans from scratch:

In here, we have a pound of soaked beans, covered with fresh water 1-2 inches above the tops of the beans. I then added to that, a white onion, halved, a bay leaf, 1 tsp each of whole cumin and coriander seeds, and finally, sprigs of fresh thyme and oregano, courtesy of the Farmer's Market. Bring liquid to a boil, partially cover and reduce heat and then simmer beans for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until tender. If any foam develops, skim surface as needed.

Once your delicious pot of beans is cooks, use Terry's recipe to spice them up, simmer, and MASH! Use for burritos, nachos, tostadas or just serve warm over rice.

Minstrone with Kale

2011-03-28T21:21:00.001-04:00

"Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite." Auguste Escoffier

From Color Me Vegan, by Colleen Patrick Goudreau:

"The Italian word minestrone, refers to a large, hearty soup. The soup itself is part of what is known in Italy as cucina povera - literally 'poor kitchen,' referring to the necessity of creating dishes based on what was available and in season. As it has been passed down through the ages, there is no fixed recipe and lends itself to many variations".

There are many things I love about this recipe: First of all, it is simple, hearty, and tastes wonderful. And second, it contains one of my all-time favorite leafy greens: KALE!

Here are four fun (little known) nutritional facts about kale:

Kale eases lung congestion and is beneficial to the stomach, liver and immune system
It contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes from macular degeneration
It also contains indole-3-carbinol, which may protect against colon cancer
Kale is an excellent source of calcium, iron, vitamins A and C, and chlorophyll

Another component to this recipe that I really like, is the step of boiling the small pasta separate from the soup itself. That way the pasta doesn't get overcooked, or soak up all the broth by the time it's finished cooking. The addition of bay leaves REALLY adds a wonderful depth of flavor; a flavor that my 'chicken soup loving, dark leafy green hating' family gobbled up eagerly. There was barely one bowl's worth left, which always makes me happy ^_^

If you do not already have this gorgeous book, there are some sample recipes listed here, and the Minestrone with Kale is one of them!

I did make two small changes from Colleen's original recipe: First, I added 3 stalks of chopped celery along with the carrots, because you can't have soup without celery! It just gives it that special home made soup "taste". And second, I used chickpeas instead of cannellini beans. The first time I made this delicious soup, I didn't have white beans on hand, so of course, I subbed my old-standby: CHICKPEAS. Well, I enjoyed them so much that I now use them every time I make the soup. As they simmer in the both, they get so wonderfully soft and tender and compliment the hearty kale very well. This soup is nice sprinkles with a bit of Vegan Parmesan.

"Soup of the evening, beautiful..." Lewis Carroll

Asian Fusion Night

2011-03-20T19:08:00.000-04:00

Kathy and I have done it again! LEFT: Spicy Coconut Red Thai Curry served over Jasmine Rice (not pictured) RIGHT: Vegetable Tofu Lettuce Wraps with spicy hoisin OR sweet peanut sauce.

SPICY COCONUT RED THAI CURRY

This dish comes together so quickly and tasted amazing. I originally got the idea from my Aunt Jean, who makes this curry for her fabulous parties, mainly because it's so quick and easy, and tastes like you've slaved over it for hours. The key ingredient is authentic Thai curry paste, which can be found at most Asian markets.

When I was in Baltimore a couple weeks ago, I took a walk, and found the most wonderful Asian grocery. I came home with this:

quite a haul, indeed

The thai curry paste I used in this dish is the very top can, next to the panko, called Panang Curry by the brand Maesri. Close up of the can here:

When buying Thai curry pastes, be sure to check ingredient list on the back, as some types do contain fish sauce. I've found that the Panang (above), Red and Yellow curry pastes are vegan, whereas the Green usually have fish sauce in them. I will keep on the lookout for a vegan "Green" curry, as those are SUPER spicy which I like!

INGREDIENTS:

What makes my Aunt Jean's recipe so wonderfully versatile is that you can use just about anything you like! The vegetables I used in this particular one were: 1/2 a yellow pepper, 1/2 a red pepper. 1/2 red onion, 2 carrots, 1 can bamboo shoots, chopped, and the white parts of 2 scallions, all sliced.

Now, for the protein, I used 2 loaves of homemade, Steamed White Seitan from VIVA VEGAN that I had in the freezer. If you don't have this amazing book, the recipe for the home made seitan can be found here. Ideally, I probably would have omitted the cumin in the seitan recipe, as this seitan is meant for Latin-style dishes. But, it's what I had on hand, the cumin wasn't too strong, and the Panang red curry sauce is a strong enough flavor to cover it. (And, by using it I've discovered that the steamed white seitan freezes EXTREMELY well)! Now if seitan isn't your thing, this dish works wonderfully with a package of extra firm tofu, cubed and browned with a bit of the curry paste added in for flavor.

For this recipe, I sliced the defrosted seitan into bite size pieces, and sauteed them in some canola oil and shallot until brown. Then, I stirred in about 1 TBSP of the panang curry paste, and sauteed a few minutes more. I then removed the seitan from the pan and set aside while I cooked the vegetables.

In the same pan, I sauted the veggies in a bit of canola oil for about 5 minutes. At this point, my Aunt would add fish sauce to hers, but I used about a tbsp of Braggs liquid aminos instead. I find that really works well to replace the fish sauce called for in many Thai dishes. Then I added the curry paste, mixed it through the vegetables, and sauteed for another minute or two. I used about 1/2 a can (I had used about 1/4 can to sautee the seitan) Cut back on the paste if you don't like too much heat, but I like it spicy. Finally, I added about half a can of light coconut milk (Trader Joe's 14 1/2 oz can). Simmer for 5- 10 minutes, then top with chopped scallions and basil. Serve it over Jasmine rice ^_^

St. Patrick's Day Birthday Cupcakes

2011-03-17T12:06:00.001-04:00

Chocolate Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Buttercream Frosting from Joy of Vegan Baking, (mainly because I only had 2 cups of powdered sugar on hand, and that is exactly what Collenn's recipe called for).

A note on why these came to be: My parents' birthdays are both in March. My dad, Patrick, was born the day before St. Patrick's Day, and my mom, 100% Italian, was born on the day itself. True irony...

I was lucky enough to find my green sanding sugar from Williams Sonoma burried in a box, so I didn't have to buy the pathetic-looking-excuse for green that Whole Foods had! It looked more like transparent moss, than green.

Here is what the Williams Sonoma sugar looks like, beautiful and sparkley!

And then, there are THESE:

I'm not sure how I feel about the green sillicone baking cups: the cupcakes took a good six minutes longer than usual, which does not make me happy... But, they sure look cute! ^_^

Greek Salad With Avocado

2011-03-14T21:20:00.001-04:00

Although far from traditional, creamy avocado adds a really nice touch to all the tanginess found in most Greek salads. I make this using my marinated tofu recipe in place of the feta cheese. Adding avocado the salad was inspired from a recipe I saw on Chuck's Day Off, MINUS the deep fried Kefalotyri cheese cubes he put on his...

INGREDIENTS:

2 large tomatoes, cubed
2 lebanese cucumbers, cubed
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup kalamata olive, pitted and halved
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and cubed
4 cups romaine lettuce
1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped (oregano is nice too)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup tofu feta

DIRECTIONS:

1 Mix the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives, avocado and lettuce in a large bowl with the dill, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice.
2 Add salt and pepper to taste, toss.
3 Top with marinated tofu feta

Marinated Tofu - (In the Style of Feta Cheese)

2011-03-13T15:03:00.011-04:00

Perfect for topping a Greek-style salad, or a spinach and olive pizza! Leftover marinade makes a great base for a Greek-style salad dressing. This recipe for tofu feta, crumbled over a gigantic salad, is Greek-girl approved** We ate two bowls. Thank you, L, for letting me serve you tofu on your salad ^_^

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb firm tofu, drained and pressed
4 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white miso
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 garlic cloves, smashed but left whole
dried oregano, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Press the tofu between two plates, weighted down with some heavy cans or a cast iron pan, to drain the excess liquid out.
2. Slice into 1/2 inch slices.
3. Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade in a large container with a lid.
4. Add the tofu to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, preferably 2-3 days.
5. Flip the container every few hours to ensure even coverage.
6. Tofu pieces can be patted dry, and crumbled over your favorite Greek-style salad or pizza.

**L is half Greek, so making her a Greek salad with TOFU as the feta was one of my BALLsy-est moves yet. I made up the salads in advance on our plates, and her first reaction was: "OH, you bought cheese!!" "No... this is marinated tofu, BUT it's gonna be really yummy!!"

And, it was, yay! We both ate two bowls. Plus, adding avocado makes everything better...

Big Fat Taco Salad!

2011-03-07T19:35:00.002-05:00

I'm jumping back to Appetite for Reduction, because I seriously LOVE this book!!

(Please note, I used a tiny sprinkling of Daiya vegan cheddar cheese, which is NOT in Isa's original recipe, but it was still really good)!!

Now, most folks who like to cook, or have a basic knowledge of cooking, don't actually need a recipe to make a taco salad. The beauty of cooking with the recipes from Appetite for Reduction is that it you to take a closer look at the amounts and types of ingredients one might use on say, a simple dish like a taco salad.

For example, instead of blobs of Tofutti vegan sour cream, this recipe is topped with GUACAMAME, traditional guacamole's lighter cousin ^_^

What an innovative recipe! Instead of the full fat and calories from two large avocados, Isa uses ONE avocado and replaces the rest with a cup of edamame (soybeans). You season and spice the mixture the same as any other guacamole recipe: lime juice, salt, cilantro, jalapeno or cayenne, and then puree everything until smooth in a food processor. I must say, as a DIE HARD guacamole fan, the end results of this lighter, lower fat version are quite fantastic!

Now onto the dressing...

Many taco salads in restaurants contain ground meat, and the ones that don't, are usually smothered in some cream-tastical, salty, taco-spice dressing, or loaded with cheese. The dressing we have for this salad is more like a pourable version of a spicy salsa, mixing tomato, lime and fresh jalapeno. When I made up our taco salads, I decided to mix the dressing right in with the black beans, then top the lettuce with that.

It made for a pretty picture, and was then easily mixed with the rest of the salad to get lots of delicious flavor in each bite.

Crumble a small handful of (baked) tortilla chips of the top from some crunch, and you are good to go. Two bowls later... we were happy and well fed ^_^

Tempeh Helper - Just like Mom's

2011-02-25T16:56:00.001-05:00

As a child, I remember with great fondness the casserole combos my mom would make so often for our family's dinner. And why not, everyone knows that One-Dish meals are a mom's best friend. One casserole that came into our weekly rotation quite often was Mac & Cheese, a pound of ground beef and a box of frozen spinach, all tossed together with some shredded cheese melted on top, a kind of "knock-off" Hamburger Helper.

Now, the dish below happened entirely by accident; the result of combining several random recipes all into one. The outcome: a delicious dish of comfort food that unintentionally pays tribute to the homey casserole from my childhood!

Here's how it's done... Let's go back

I have tried the Tempeh Helper from the PPK blog:

This was delicious, and truly mimicked the Hamburger Helper from a box (circa early 80s), which was a steadfast staple of my childhood. One thing I also remember is picking all the meat out, and wishing just once, mom would make it with just the noodles and veggies, and forget the lumps of ground meat.

SO... I had an entire batch of Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh that I was just dying to crumble into something, AND a fresh batch of homemade "Mac & Cheese" powder from this lovely blog: Our Veggie Kitchen. Great stuff... Try it out. It's pretty fantastic!

I cut the directions for the Mac & Cheese four (4) servings in HALF, to make the perfect portion for my casserole. To make sure the cheese sauce is extra smooth, I pureed the powder with the liquid in my blender before boiling and adding the noodles. When noodles are cooked, stir in 1 10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed, and 4 triangles of Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh, crumbled. Toss in a small handful (or two) of shredded Daiya cheddar, and you're good to go. ^_^

Food Network Feast, Vegan Style

2011-02-20T16:40:00.001-05:00

This Saturday, my friend Kathy and I took our inspiration from Food Network, and made the following:

Fresh Radishes and Cucumbers with Sea Salt, served on Toast with Herb Spread
Veganized from The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten:

2 bunches radishes, with the pretty green tops intact
2 cucumbers, sliced
Sea salt
Herbed ~~Butter~~ Earth Balance
1 French baguette, sliced diagonally, and lightly toasted
1 "Take and Bake" whole grain loaf, from Dave's Marketplace

For the Herb Spread:

1 stick Earth Balance, at room temperature
Chopped chives
Chopped fresh parsley leaves
freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and black pepper
pinch of sugar

Directions:
Arrange the radishes and cucumbers on a bed of sea salt.
Spread the butter on slices of toasted bread and arrange on a platter.
Serve at room temperature.

Now, I have never eaten radishes before. Sure, I've had the occasional wafer-thin sliced radish amidst iceberg lettuce in salad bars, but never like this. Fresh and crunchy, with just a hint of bite. And, the herbed spread was the perfect topping for the crusty bread. And tasted even better on toast the next day!

Kathy and I try to get together and cook once a week. And although she is a meat and potatoes kinda gal, she has embraced this weekly vegan cooking adventure with open arms. Deciding what to make isn't usually hard, as we are both foodies at heart, and LOVE to cook. Some weeks I have an idea, and some weeks she does. This week we both did, and they both happened to be inspired from Food Network shows that we had watched recently.

Here is my contribution, adapted and veganized from Rachel Ray's Week in a Day:

Ceci Sauce over Pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Fresno red chile pepper, finely chopped (with seeds)!
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped **No rosemary on hand, so I used some Bavarian Seasoning from Penzey's, which contains rosemary
1 fresh bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups ~~chicken~~ vegetable stock
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 pound whole wheat or whole grain penne
~~Pecorino cheese~~, My Vegan Parmesan
Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions, garlic, chile, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and cook to soften, 7 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, add about 2/3 of the chickpeas to a food processor, then quick-pulse into fine bits.
Add the finely chopped chickpeas and remaining whole chickpeas to the pan and heat through. Stir in the stock and tomatoes.
Break up the whole tomatoes and simmer the sauce. I simmered mine for about 30-40 mintues.
Add a handful of vegam parmesan, to taste
Bring water to boil for pasta, salt the water and cook to al dente.
Reserve a cup of starchy pasta water just before draining.
Drain the pasta and place back in the hot pot and toss with the sauce and as much starchy water as you need to combine, I didn't need very much at all.
Add chopped parsley and extra vegan parm.

And the final product:

Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh

2011-02-16T17:17:00.002-05:00

Cookbook Challenge Week 2 - Veganomicon

Now, if you know anything about me at all, you know I'm a hot sauce fiend. I have been meaning to try this recipe for some time now... A. because it's hot sauce B. because it's GLAZED. anything glazed is okay in my book

So, here it is: Triangles of steamed tempeh, marinated in a tangy, spicy liquid, then grilled to perfection. I used my super-cool non-stick grill pan! (aren't the grill marks nice)?

Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh

By Isa Chandra Moskowitz (VEGANOMICON)

Ingredients

8 ounce package of tempeh
1/2 cup wine (whatever kind you've got on hand, just nothing sweet, or use vegetable broth and a touch of wine vinegar)
1/4 cup hot sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Bring a pot of water to boil.
Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl large enough to fit the tempeh slices.
Cut the tempeh in half width wise then cut each of those squares diagonally to form 4 large triangles. When the water is boiling, add the tempeh, lower the heat and steam for 10 minutes.
Use tongs to remove the tempeh and then immediately place them in the marinade bowl for 1 hour, flipping them every now again to cover with the marinade.
Preheat a greased grill pan over medium high heat. Brush lightly with olive oil
Grill each side for 5 minutes. When the second side is almost done, spoon some of the marinade over the tempeh and let cook for 30 more seconds.

Now, for a chili-head such as myself, one would think this would be my dream recipe. But, alas, it was not. I fear I am loosing my taste for whole pieces tempeh, and that makes me very sad. I am, however, still a HUGE fan of crumbled tempeh (IE Better-Than-Tuna Salad sandwiches)!!

Let's crumble these triangles up, and make something spicy!! (All is never lost... Crazy Casserole to follow...)

Strawberry Shortcakes for the Day of V

2011-02-13T21:59:00.000-05:00

When asked to make Strawberry Shortcake for Valentine's Day, my first response was: "STRAWBERRIES?!? in FEBRUARY??" ummm...ok.. I'll see what I can do

So I hit up my smoothie reserve in the freezer: One bag of whole organic strawberries from Trader Joe's, and began my quest for the perfect recipe. And I found it: Vegan with a Vengeance, you never disappoint me.

Now, instead of serving the strawberries and cream over biscuits, or pound cake, this recipe uses scones. I can honestly say, I have never really been a huge fan of scones. The ones I've had in the past have been rather dry, crumbly and lifeless.

Until I made these... and now my relationship with scones has been changed forever.

SCONES
From Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar (plus an extra for sprinkling on top)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup soy creamer (I used SILK French Vanilla)
3/4 rice or soy or almond milk plus 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Add cider vinegar to the milk and let sit while you mix the dry ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Add the oil, soy cream, and milk with vinegar.
Mix until just combined; the dough should be clumpy and not sticky.
Even if there is still a light dusting of flour, that's okay.
Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto the greased cookie sheet and pat the tops just a little bit to round them out; sprinkle with a bit of sugar.

Bake 12-15 minutes until slightly browned on the bottom and firm on the top.
Mine were done at 12 minutes on the DOT.

For the Strawberry Goodness:
(cut in half because I only had 1 lb of strawberries)
1lb sliced strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
Cover and let chill for an hours or so, the strawberries will develop a sauce all of their own!

Vanilla Cashew Cream
1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight)
1/4 coconut milk (I used So Delicious Vanilla)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Drain cashews and blend with coconut milk and sugar until smooth, 3-4 minutes.
Stream in maple syrup and oil and blend until well combined and silky smooth.
Chill for several hours, or overnight.

To assemble:
TWO scones, top with strawberries and juice, dollop or two of cream , and a few more strawberries.
Dig in and taste the wonder!

Pineapple Banana-Oat Smoothie

2011-02-06T22:50:00.002-05:00

A delicious glass of tropical sunshine! Pineapple and banana are one of my favorite smoothie combinations. And in this recipe, the oats and flax seed add a nice thickness as well as added nutrition. Oats have a higher level of soluble fiber than other grains. Some other benefits of adding oats to your smoothie is the fact that they lower cholesterol, and are soothing to the digestive process. I like to blend the oats and flax in my liquid first, just to make sure they are pureed well. Then add your fruit...

INGREDIENTS:
1 banana, ripe
1/2 cup pineapple chunk, frozen
1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
2 teaspoons flax seeds
2 teaspoons agave nectar

DIRECTIONS: Prep Time: 5 mins Total Time: 5 mins
1. Blend oats, flax seeds, almond milk and agave for a two to three minutes on high, just to really blend the oats and the seeds.
2. Add fruit and blend until smooth.

Tomato-Rice Soup

2011-01-22T14:51:00.000-05:00

Cookbook Challenge Week 2 - Veganomicon

I have a special fondness in my heart for Veganomicon, as it was the very first vegan cookbook I purchased. With that said, for the cookbook challenge, I wanted to be sure to make recipes from the book that I had never tried before. With all the snow lately, and temperatures being down in the single digits, the Tomato-Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans sounded too good to be true.

What I like so much about this recipe is that is was simple, and that it called for BROWN rice, something I had been really craving. I followed the original recipe almost exactly, except for a couple things: Instead of the roasted garlic, I used six whole cloves of garlic, smashed, and simmered those along with the soup, and I used 1 tsp of dried basil instead of marjoram. I ate my first bowl as is. Once the soup had cooled, I added the slightest touch of agave nectar, just to round out the acid of the tomatoes.

Simple, warm and comforting, and certainly puts that can of condensed Campbell's to shame!

*This recipe make A LOT of soup, so half went into a container in the freezer, and the rest will be for my lunches the rest of the week. ^_^

Olive Lentil Burgers

2011-01-19T18:31:00.002-05:00

There is something completely satisfying about making veggie burgers from scratch. While I do (usually) have a box of frozen veggie burgers on hand for a quick, no-fuss dinner, many of the store bought burger varieties contain some not-so-wonderful ingredients.

When you make your own though, you have the freedom to pick any flavor you like: Mexican, Indian, Cajun, Italian... the possibilities are endless, and YOU get to control exactly what goes in them.

So when I saw this recipe for "OLIVE LENTIL BURGERS' on the Post Punk Kitchen Blog, I was immediately intrigued. That, and I had a lovely container of fresh kalamata olives left over from making Artichoke Olive Salsa for New Year's!

These were DELICIOUS! The salty brine of the olives mixed with the meaty texture of the mushrooms made a perfect match. For the mushrooms, I actually used a 50 gram bag of dried shiitakes that I had picked up at Job Lot for $2.00. They were already finely chopped and just needed to be re-hydrated. I wasn't really sure how much re-hydrated shiitake I as going to end up with, so I soaked the whole bag and figured I'd hope for the best.

The amount ended up being perfect, and the substitution was perfect because the shiitakes added a wonderful smokey flavor. After they were well soaked, I drained and then added them to the already sautéing onion, garlic and spices, just to heat them through and let the flavors combine.

One thing I also really liked about this recipe was the addition of dried tarragon. I do have a small plastic bag of the spice, but I don't really come across too many opportunities to use it. To me, tarragon has a licorice and slightly minty flavor. The flavors of dried tarragon are quite strong, but the 1/4 tsp called for in this recipe, gives the perfect subtle hint. I might be able to use up that bag after all!

I did end up baking the burgers in the oven about 15 minutes longer than stated, so about 45 minutes total. I served them on toasted wheat bread with some romaine lettuce leaves and some Guacamame from Appetite for Reduction. More on Guacamame to come!

CAULIPOTS!

2011-01-14T19:54:00.002-05:00

Cookbook Challenge Week 1 - Appetite for Reduction

Too many starchy, carbs getting you down? Looking to cut down on your MASHED POTATO consumption, but fear the sudden withdrawal? Well look no further, CAULIPOTS are here!

Caulipots - the fact that it looks like a cauliflower is purely coincidence

I think Isa sums it up best: "Mashed potatoes are pretty much the clouds of heaven - I definitely indulge - but the fat and calories therein can make them the spuds of hell".

This delectable 'half-and-half' blend of the beloved potato, and the often forgot-about cauliflower, uses no milk or butter (that's 'no unsweetened almond milk and Earth Balance to you and me') but rather, uses a touch of olive oil and vegetable broth to smooth it out and give it flavor.

Now, back in my pregan days, the no-carb, low-carb Atkins thing was running rampant. And with that "carb be devil" attitude, emerged the phenomena of the Mashed Cauliflower, a heaping mound of boiled cauliflower mixed with HEAVY cream and butter, and them whipped into a mash we all could relate to, because god FORBID you eat a potato!! I admit, I made it once, and it was well received. But something inside me thought "someone's got something very wrong here".

Can't we have the best of both? And I think this recipe proves that yes, yes we can.

*Best thing about the Caulipots: serving them to my cauliflower-hating GF, waiting until her last bite, and THEN telling her there was cauliflower in them! she was blown away...and converted, yay

2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma

2011-01-12T18:50:00.000-05:00

Cookbook Challenge Week 1 - Appetite for Reduction

I can honestly say I have never had a "korma", but I have made my fair share of Indian inspired curries, slightly sweetened and made creamy with a can of coconut milk. Most of them don't really follow a recipe, and are more like a bit of this and that...

BUT, if I'm going to add coconut milk to my curry, what do I do?? I ADD THE WHOLE CAN! This recipe has taught me restraint. You don't need to add a whole can to make a deliciously light and creamy vegetable curry.

What did help in this discovery was the fact that I had half a can of light coconut milk left over from making the sauce for the New Year's Samosas, but now thanks to that bit of luck, I am all the wiser.

The original recipe calls for fresh zucchini, which I sadly did not have. I did use chopped baby carrots, cauliflower, peas, and then tossed in about a cup of cooked chickpeas to make up for the missing zucchini. They're buried in there somewhere...

Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad

2011-01-09T20:50:00.004-05:00

Cookbook Challenge Week 1 - Appetite for Reduction

I cannot tell you how excited I am to own this cookbook. I've been skimming through the recipes, and I have to say, I can see myself making ALL of them. They are all quick and simple, which is great for me, especially on busy weeknights when I get home from work after 6.

And... there are TONS of recipe ideas that are great for work lunches. One of my (silent) New Year's resolutions was to start packing more interesting, healthy lunches. I was quite pleasantly surprised as I flipped through the book and was met with tons of great ideas for lunch, like in Chapter 1, for example:

FULL ON SALADS

"THERE WAS A TIME -- A LONELY, LONELY TIME -- WHEN SALADS were a pale and limp affair, relegated to the side of your plate, practically weeping. I think those dark days were also know as the '80s. Then all of a sudden, salads came alive... the line between salad and entree was blurred. The walls came down, and arugula came up".

Reading Isa's introduction MAKES me want to make and eat salad! Even in the cold, dead of winter, when the thought of a crisp and cool green salad makes me shiver...

So why not start at recipe numero uno? (I had all the stuff on hand too)

I give you: Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Delicious! This is going to be my go-to salad for work for a while. I decided to keep the quinoa and chickpeas in a separate container in my fridge, and then mixed them in with the greens and dressing each morning. The quinoa and chickpea combo really adds nice bulk to the greens, which made me feel full the rest of the day.

Appetite for Reduction really has some wonderful homemade salad dressing too, great to keep mixed up in the fridge for salad variety anytime. The Balsamic Vinaigrette that follows this recipe in the book uses soaked cashews instead of oil, to give a creamy body to the dressing. L O V E! Cannot wait to make more...

Cookbook Challenge!

2011-01-06T21:49:00.005-05:00

My cookbook collection has just about grown out of its alloted space - O N E whole bookshelf. Yes, that's right, I have one WHOLE bookshelf dedicated entirely to cookbooks. To some, this might seem a bit excessive. Yet for a gal like me, who tends to read cookbooks like novels, I feel this is nothing short of wonderful!

Partial shot - Veganomicon was in the car...

To help put this monstrous collection to good use, I will be participating in the Post Punk Kitchen's 12-week cookbook challenge! Starting January 10th, I will (attempt to) make at least three (3) recipes from the following Top 10 Vegan Cookbooks:

January 10 - Appetite for Reduction
January 17 - Veganomicon
January 24 - Urban Vegan
January 31 - Vegan with a Vengeance
February 7 - Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
February 14 - FREE choice week - Choose any cookbook. Dessert cookbook will be Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World or other.
February 21 - 500 Vegan Recipes
February 28 - American Vegan Kitchen
March 7 - Yellow Rose Recipes
March 14 - Viva Vegan
March 21 - Vegan Brunch
March 28 - Final Week! Free choice - choose any cookbook. Dessert cookbook will be Vegan cookies Invade your Cookie Jar

Now, most of these I already own, and thanks to the wonderful NOOK Color I received as a birthday gift from my mom (yay), I have two more: Viva Vegan and Appetite for Reduction. (I treated myself... instant gratification is nice).

For the rest, I'll be hitting up the good 'ol Woonsocket library. Not sure if they even have a cookbook section (or even a vegan cookbook section) but we shall see...

I the meantime, I wish my fellow PPKers happing cooking. I'm off to pick some recipes... ^_^

Vegetable Samosas: a Perfect Start to a New Year!

2011-01-03T11:05:00.002-05:00

These delectable stuffed pastries, filled with fragrant potato and pea filling, were actually the FIRST Indian dish I ever tried. I remember, skeptically, going to the original India Restaurant on the East Side of Providence with an old friend, wondering what the heck I was going to order. "Try these, I know you'll love them" she said. When they arrived (only two) I remember being sad that they only came (2) to an order, and that we didn't order at least six... A PEICE! And so, the humble samosa will forever be my inauguration into the wonderful world of Indian cuisine, and for that I am truly thankful.

For my small, yet tasteful New Year’s Eve party this year I wanted to have a selection of tasty appetizers for my friends, none of whom are vegan. In my zeal to be Betty Crocker, and the fact that I had two days off prior, I decided make samosas from scratch. Plus, I had been eyeing the samosa recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance (VWAV) for quite some time.

What makes this recipe nice is that the samosas are not deep fried, but rather, brushed with a bit of olive oil and baked in the oven. The pastry dough is easy to make too, and I got to use my Kitchen Aid mixer, which helped with the kneading immensely (10 minutes)!

I will say this: These guys are time consuming little buggers, but are SO worth the effort. And please, if you have VWAV, do yourself a favor and make the Coconut-Mint Chutney recipe that follows for dipping. This recipe is so quick and simple and (magically) mirrors the mint chutney dipping sauce they serve at India Restaurant. In fact, I think it’s even BETTER! ^_^

The Great Debate: Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Cheesecake?

2010-11-17T09:34:00.000-05:00

Which one should I make for the big day? Here are your choices...

PIE

Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Pecan Crust

This pie is delicious, and no one will EVER miss the eggs. You can use this filling with your favorite home made pie crust, or store bought. I made this for Thanksgiving 2009 and made a home made cinnamon pecan crust (recipe below). Because I didn't have clove, I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon PLUS from Pampered Chef, which has a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. I also used candied pecans for the top. From: Joy of Vegan Baking

Pumpkin Pie
1 pie crust (recipe below)
12 ounces silken tofu
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup light brown sugar, fimly packed
1/4 cup cornstarch or 1/4 cup arrowroot
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon clove
16 toasted pecans, for topping

Directions:
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 55 mins

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Blind bake your pie crust.
3 Blend together the pumpkin, tofu maple syrup, brown sugar, cornstarch, and spices until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
4 Pour into prepared crust, and smooth top of filling with a spatula.
5 Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned and the outermost inch of the filling is set.
6 Don't worry is the center is still soft, it will continue to firm up as the pie cools.
7 Gently press the toasted pecan halves into the filling. I did 2 concentric circles.
8 Cool to room temperature and then chill until set, 1-2 hours.
9 Can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Cinnamon Pecan CRUST
This crust is magical! Perfect for pumpkin pie!! Also from Joy of Vegan Baking

3/4 cup pecan halves
3/4 cup quick-cooking oat
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Directions:
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly spray a 9 inch pie plate with non stick spray.
3. Toast pecans on cookie sheet for 7 - 10 mintues, or until the smell of nuts fills the kitchen.
4. Combine oats, flour, toasted pecans, cinnamon and salt in food processor or blender, and pulse until mixture becomes a coarse meal.
5. Pour in oil and maple syrup and pulse until wet and dry are just combined.
6. (I used a blender to pulse the dry, and then mixed in the oil and syrup by hand in a bowl so it wouldn't get stuck in the bottom of the blender).
7. Press the mixture into a prepared pie plate. I like to use the bottom of a glass to press the crust down evenly on the bottom and sides.

OR SHOULD I MAKE CHEESECAKE?!?

I tried this recipe out last Friday...

Pumpkin Cheesecake (basic recipe from the Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook):

Crust:
1 ½ cups vegan graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full crackers)
¼ cup vegan margarine, melted (Earth Balance)

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) containers tofu cream cheese
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon rum extract** (yum)
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
3⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
3⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly oil an 8-inch springform pan or coat with nonstick spray.
Place the crumbs directly into the pan, add the melted margarine and toss with fork to combine.
Press the crumbs evenly against the bottom and side of the pan and set aside.

Place the tofu cream cheese in a food processor or Kitchen Aid and process until smooth.
Add the pumpkin and process until blended.
Add the sugar, rum extract, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg and process until well blended.
Spread the filling evenly into the prepared crust.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until firm.
**Turn off the oven and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for 30 minutes to an hour without opening the oven door. I really like this tip, NO Cracks on top at all!!
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
Refrigerate for several hours before serving. Great to make this the day before

I really liked the RUM extract flavor in the cheesecake, but I really like the pecan crust from the regular pumpkin pie! Maybe I'll combine the best of both? WHAT DO YOU THINK?? ^_^

Mock Chicken Seasoning

2010-11-13T09:28:00.000-05:00

A delicious recipe from my dear friend Chef Sharon123 over at Food.com. This dry mix is made from ingredients most folks have right in their pantry. Perfect for making up a quick batch of 'chicken' flavored broth to use in recipes.

1 cup Nutritional Yeast
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp marjoram
3 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp savory

Mix all ingredients together, and store in an air-tight container. I use one (1) Tbsp of this mix for every one (1) cup of water. *For the marjoram and savory, I used Herbs de Provence, but I think an all-purpose poultry seasoning would work well here too. (You can see the lavendar in the pic!)

I'm always able to find the vegetable broth flavored cubes, but never seem to find any "chicken" flavored ones that are vegan. Sometimes you just need a flavor other than palin old veggie broth to make a recipe really stand out. I've used this mix for soup bases, flavoring seitan, coating tofu, and, most recently, as the broth for Chickpea Cutlets. The possibilities are endless!

I Do Like Pizza!

2010-11-12T09:19:00.004-05:00

Although I was informed that Papa John's Pizza is vegan (crust, sauce, AND it can easily be ordered with OUT cheese) sometimes it's just fun to make it at home.

I give you our favorite pizza combo:

Whole Foods whole wheat refrigerated pizza crust
Vegan pepperoni
Banana peppers (key! the secret to all great pizzas)
Kalamata olives
Daiya mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil

Who needs delivery?! (Tips are greatly appreciated, though...) ^_^

As you can see, we HATED it...

Weeknight Dinner in 20!

2010-11-11T12:16:00.000-05:00

It happens... Work late, get home after 7:00. But let's face it, there are just some nights where (even I) don't feel like cooking. I have a 50 minute ride home each evening, and on late nights, I often ponder stopping and getting and sandwich on the way home, OR playing Russian roulette with what's in my cubbords.

Last night, my frugal-self convinced me to: GO HOME, AND MAKE DO WITH WHAT'S THERE ^_^

So here we go:

Mexican Rice - NO box :)

Mexican Rice - No box ;)
1 cup rice (Uncle Ben's converted)
1 tsp Earth Balance
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup medium tomato salsa
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (mine's from Atlantic Spice Co.)
*1 packet smokey fire sauce from typical Mexican chain restaurant (optional)

Sautee rice in earth balance over medium heat until golden; you'll be able to smell the nuttiness of the rice. Add water, salsa, salt, and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. DONE!

Bean Burritos on the Fly

While rice simmers, empty a can of vegetarian refried beans into a microwave safe bowl and add:
(this items were already in my fridge, so feel free to improvise)

1/4 of a red onion, minced (2 scallions would be nice as well)
1/2 lime, zest and juice
sprinkle or two of garlic powder
1 tsp taco seasoning (also from Atlantic Spice Co.)
Microwave for 2-3 minutes or until hot, stir and them add 1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Add some of the beans to a tortilla or lavash, top with some Cheddar Daiya and microwave for 30 seconds or until melted. Add some lettuce, chopped tomato, and a dollop of tofu sour cream! YUM

Tofu Sour Cream

Bean Burrito with cheddar Daiya, lettuce, tomato and sour cream

Cherry Almond Cookies

2010-11-10T11:05:00.041-05:00

From Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar!

I just have to say, I have not made a bad recipe YET from this cookbook. (I haven't even made a so-so recipe yet, they have all turned out fabulous!)

I have made this particular cookie recipe twice now, once with dried cranberries (yum), and once with the cherries (thank you, Trader Joe)! Both times, the cookies have turned out delicately crisp on the edges, and soft and chewy in the center. I must say, the combination of the slighly tart, cherries with the delicately sweet flavor of the almond cookie is just wonderful! I think I might try toasting the almonds next time, and I might add just a touch of cinnamon to the cookie as well...

Either way, this recipe is definitely in the running for my holiday cookies this year! I think I might try and drizzle them with a bit of powdered sugar icing, just for an extra touch. ^_^

My Basic Hummus Recipe

2010-11-09T13:40:00.011-05:00

I was recently given a food processor! Nothing fancy, but it does the job. ^_^

I have now unleashed a monster, and I can't stop making HUMMUS.

Please believe me when I tell you how AMAZING home made hummus tastes compared to store bought brands! Here's the recipe I use:

Basic Hummus Recipe
1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1/4 - 1/3 cup tahini
1/2 lemon, juiced.
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chickpea liquid
1/2 tsp salt, corriander and cumin, or to taste

So, why so heavy on the tahini? My (ONLY) favorite store bought brand of hummus is SABRA. In an attempt to recreate this silky creamy goodness, I searched the web for a copycat recipe. I did not actually find one, but I read somewhere that the Sabra brand uses more tahini than most other brands, and that could possibly be the reason why I love it so!

So... add the above list of ingredients to your food processor and blend, blend, BLEND... scraping the sides down as you go. If the tahini-ness scares you, feel free to start off with maybe 2 TBSP- 1/4 cup of tahini, and taste as you go.

Once you get the basic hummus recipe down, you can experiment with all sorts of flavors:

Add one roasted red pepper:

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (bad pic)!

OR... add a handful of chopped scallion and cilantro:

Scallion & Cilantro Hummus

Or if you like it SPICY, add a little less tahini, one roasted red pepper and 1/2 jalapeno WITH seeds!

SPICY - Red Pepper and Jalapeno!

What is your favorite hummus recipe?

Build Your Own Falafel!

2010-11-08T18:13:00.001-05:00

Most Friday nights, my friend and I get together to COOK, and although she is a member of the International Chili Society and a die-hard carnivore, she glady comes to my kitchen and we cook VEGAN food! Each Friday, we usually pick a cuisine such as Mexican, Indian, Italian, BUT our all time, common ground is: THE HUMBLE FALAFEL

If you've never had the honnor of eating one of these delicious Middle Eastern treats, falafels are fried balls or patties of spiced chickpeas, wrapped in a pita pocket or flat bread, and served with a variety of condiments or dipping sauces. When I make falafel from scratch, I use THIS traditional recipe from Tyler Florence. Unfortunately, you DO need to plan ahead with this one, because it involves soaking dried chickpeas overnight. This week, we decided way too late for that recipe, so I had to resort to the box:

For a box, this stuff is NOT BAD... I do add a little fresh garlic, chopped scallion and fresh cilantro to spruce it up a bit, but overall, (in a pinch), I like it!

Now for the toppings! We set ours up like a "make your own" falafel bar: Romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, thinly sliced red onion, roasted red pepper strips. Two kinds of homemade hummus: Garlic and scallion, and then a spicy red pepper and jalapeno (recipes tomorrow)! For an added cool touch, I mixed some chopped cilantro and scallion into my basic tofu sour cream recipe. And for the wraps, we had whole wheat pitas and lavash flat bread!

Gardein, or... The Cooking Channel Veganized

2010-11-06T08:50:00.001-04:00

If you're going to try Gardein for the first time, you're going to need a recipe that actually uses MEAT. I, however, fall quite short in that department.

I thought "beef stew" was kinda obvious, and shish kabab (which these look like) are rather difficult without a grill, BUT I had a package of the Gardein Beefless Tips in my freezer that I, at least, wanted to TRY.

One day, I had the Cooking channel on in the background, and this adorable Asian chef came on the screen, with a lovely Brittish accent. Her show was called Chinese Food Made Easy, and her cullinary point of view was to debunk the myth that Chinese food was the greasy, fried, take-away we all see here in American, (and apparently in England too, which is where this show is from). She wanted to teach her viewers that authentic Chinese cuisine is fresh, quick, delicately balanced in flavor, and totally accesible to cooks at home.

So, I looked to tried this: Spicy Beef Stir-Fry Topped With Scallion and Coriander

Adapted and veganized from Cooking Channel's Chinese Food Made Easy. I used Gardein frozen beefless tips for this, but I imagine pieces of seitan would work wonderfully here as well. Serve this with wasabi mayo (recipe below) over some warm flatbread or tortillas...DELICIOUS and spicy!!

Cumin is not a spice one might expect to find in a Chinese dish. There is a large population of Muslim Chinese in Beijing. They came from western China and brought with them a unique cuisine that calls for the use of spices such as cumin and fennel, which found their way to China along the Silk route. The spices in the dish are distinct and extremely flavourful, and pair amazingly with the fresh scallion and coriander. Please, if you can, take the time to freshly grind your cumin from the whole seeds. I used a mortar and pestle, and it made ALL the difference!

Ingredients:

For the Wasabi Mayo

1/2 tablespoon wasabi powder
4 teaspoons water
3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (I use Veganaise)

1 pinch powdered sugar

For the Spicy Coating

2 tablespoons cumin, freshly ground
2 tablespoons dried chili pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the Beefless Stir-fry

8 ounces seitan (I used 8oz package Gardein Beefless Tips)

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 teaspoon rice wine or 1 teaspoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and stalks, roughly chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced

Directions:

To make the mayo: In a small bowl, mix the wasabi powder with 1 teaspoon water to make a paste.
Mix the wasabi paste, remaining water and vegan mayonnaise together. Season with some sugar, and set aside.
To make the spicy coating: Grind your cumin seeds in a mortal and pestle.
Once ground into a powder, add dried chile flakes, black pepper, and salt.
Heat a wok or pan over high heat and add the peanut oil.
Add the beefless tips or seitan and stir-fry for less than 1 minute.
Add spicy mixture and stir to coat pieces in spice and oil.
When spices become fragrant, pour in the rice wine or sherry, and season with the soy sauce.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro, and spring onions. Serve immediately on warmed bread of choice with wasabi mayo.

Spicy Beefless Stir-Fry with Scallion and Coriander

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

2010-11-03T09:00:00.007-04:00

In honor of the temperature going down to 28 degrees tonight, I thought I'd share a warm and comforting Autumn soup!

This soup is adapted from a recipe I found in Fitness Magazine. The hint of curry, as well as the sweetness of the apples give this soup a really unique and delicious flavor. The addition of the white beans adds some depth and creaminess as well. Perfect for a cool Fall night! This soup is really nice served with some toasted crostini, spread with some fresh roasted garlic.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cups onions, chopped

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 6 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 2 granny smith apples, cored, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

• 1/2 teaspoon thyme

• 2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)

• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (optional)

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 2 cups water

• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add the onion and curry powder and cook 3 minutes.

3. Add the butternut squash, apples, thyme, white beans, salt and vegetable broth and the 2 cups of water - bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and cook until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

5. Working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender until almost smooth. (I like to let the soup cool a bit OR work in VERY small batches if soup is still hot).

Mint and Chocolate, the Perfect Pair

2010-11-02T09:00:00.008-04:00

So, I went a bit overbaord with the Halloween cupcakes, but hey, Halloween's my birthday, so I should go overboard.

This batch was CHOCOLATE!

Here they are naked, fresh from the oven ^.^ I dripped the batter everywhere!!

As always, I used my "go-to" recipe for vegan chocolate cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World. This recipe is a little different from the golden vanilla in that it uses canola oil for the fat instead of Earth Balance, but believe me, it is equally as yummy.

I did find that many of my friends do not like "chocolate" cupcakes, and much rather prefer the vanilla. I'm not exactly sure why there's this bias against chocolate cupcakes, but that's ok... more for me!

I thought I'd try something different with the buttercream frosting for these, so I used 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp of mint:

The result: Chocolate and Minty goodness:

Tomorrow's post will NOT be about cupcakes, I promise! ^_^

Halloween Cupcakes! (Vegan Style)

2010-11-01T00:05:00.000-04:00

Trick or Treat! A few fun sprinkles plus some white and black vegan buttercream make these delicious sweet little treats!

For the cupcakes, I used my go-to recipe from the cookbook: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. As far as I'm concerned, this is the most wonderfully, perfect vanilla cupcake recipe (vegan or NON). Recipe can be found here, reprinted with permission. Vegan buttercream frosting is a must as well. My hints for the frosting: Use Earth Balance brand shortning and buttery sticks, and beat in a Kitchen Aid mixer for the full 3 mintues and then 7 minutes! It's like a cloud :) Then, go to town with sprinkles!!

The only one of its kind! White buttercream and shiny orange glitter sprinkles!

Frankenstien Style! (black and green ^_^)

All purpose Halloween-y Colors!

And... my FAVORITE: Black frosting with BONES!!

I made the full batch of buttercream, left half of it white and then added BLACK food coloring paste to the remaining half until it went from a purple-y grey to a nice dark black. I think I added about three tiny "scoops" of the black gel until it was dark enough.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT check to see what this food coloring gel "TASTES" like. A small miscommunication in the kitchen made L's tongue (and saliva) black for a good three hours!! (no pics, sorry)

And... the inspiration for all the fun:

On sale at A.C. Moore!! (thanks Mom!)

Guide to the Perfect Smoothie

2010-10-18T18:00:00.005-04:00

Think you need a recipe to make a smoothie? Think again!

Follow these basic tips to make deliciously fun, fruity smoothies everytime ^_^

Most of the smoothies I make are simply a combination of my favorite fruit, milk or juice. I have listed a basic smoothie recipe below, and then below that, are some specific options for different ingredients:

1 cup fruit (fresh or frozen)
1/2 - 1 cup frozen banana
1 - 2 cups of liquid
1 - 2 tsp natural sweetener or nut butter
1tsp - 2tbsp supplement (optional)

FRUIT:
Frozen: bananas, pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, peaches, cherries, or a mix of any!
Fresh: honeydew, cantaloupe, mango, peaches, oranges, blueberries, strawberries

Liquid Options (or the blender's not gonna blend)
Non-Dairy Milk (I love almond milk, but soy, rice or hemp work well too)
Non-Dairy yogurt or silken tofu
100% citrus fruit juice (orange, pineapple, mango) apple juice
Water (if you're doing RAW)

Nut Butters/Natural Sweetners:
Almond butter, all natural peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini, pure maple syrup, evaporated cane juice

Supplement:
Vegan protein powder, ground flax seed, fresh ginger

Helpful Hints:

Instead of making banana bread with those over-ripe brown bananas, try peeling, slicing, and keeping them a ziplock bag in the freezer. Frozen bananas for smoothies anytime!
Trader Joe's has amazing, resonably priced bags of frozen organic fruit like strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, pineapple, and a tropical mix that's really yummy! I have these in my freezer at all times for whenever I'm out of fresh fruit
Be creative! There are really no "bad" mixes of fresh or frozen fruit: strawberry/banana, strawberry/banana/blueberry (pictured above), Pinapple/banana/OJ, rasberry/peach,
1 TBSP ground flax seed is a great way to add thickness to a smoothie, and boost your Omega 3s.

HAPPY BLENDING!

Vegan Cookies are Invading...

2010-10-07T18:05:00.025-04:00

A friend of mine was kind enough to lend me her copy of Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar and I went to town baking!

Oatmeal Raisin

Amazing recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar! I think I like this oatmeal cookie recipe even better than the one from Joy of Vegan Baking (which I really, REALLY love). There is actually less sugar in this one, but it is all BROWN sugar so the flavor is really amazing! Original recipe in VCIYCJ called for soy milk, but I always use unsweetened almond milk. Baking time: 10 minutes = chewy, 12 mintues = crunchy. I like CHEWY :)

I actually used half raisin and half dried cranberries, since I only had a half cup of each...

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles!

Do yourself a favor: Make these NOW!! You can actually find the recipe on the PPK blog here. These cookies had the perfect blend of soft, crunch and chewy... I was a wimp, and cut the cayenne a bit, but I think next time I will make as written.

I actually bought a bottle of chocoate extract for the express purpose of making these cookies, and it really, REALLY makes a difference in the intensity of the chocolate flavor.

AND... last but not least in any way...

THE chocolate chip cookie!!

Again, these are the perfect blend of crispy and chewy!

Please, do NOT be tempted to over cook your cookies. If they look done, they're OVER-done. Just be patient and let them cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then carefully move them to a rack to finish.

^_^

Artichoke Olive Salsa

2010-09-14T14:28:00.001-04:00

This recipe came in the weekly emails I receive from the Meatless Monday website. It sounded so delicious I just had to try it. It's really easy, and looks gorgeous. Perfect as a starter to an Italian or Mediterranean themed meal. Serve with crusty bread or pitas, or as a topping for bruscetta.

Ingredients: (serves 6)

1 (14 ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
3 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons red onions, minced
1/4 cup kalamata olive, sliced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

1. Mix the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, red onion, olives, garlic and basil together in a medium sized bowl.
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add enough olive oil so that the salsa reaches desired consistency.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Piccolini Pasta With Fresh Veggies

2010-06-24T15:38:00.002-04:00

This is the pasta dish I made for Mother's Day, with the help of my niece, Taya. She even chose the pasta shape: mini wagon wheels! I really like how the sauce of this dish turned out, using the diced tomatoes, balsamic and tamari. This recipe will probably lend itself to many different vegetable variations in the future! And, the leftovers tasted even better the next day!!

Ingredients

16 ounces pasta, I used Barilla piccolini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 lb frozen broccoli florets, thawed
2 (10 ounce) packages sliced mushrooms (white button or baby bella)
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (fire roasted is nice if you have them)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
1 (14 ounce) can cannellini beans (white beans)
1/2 cup basil leaves (chiffonade or chopped)
salt, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. In a LARGE saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add onion slices, and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add garlic, mushrooms and italian seasoning and cook another 4-5 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to soften.
5. Next, stir in the peppers and broccoli and cook for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables turn bright and soften. I usually add a little salt here as well.
6. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 7-8 minutes.
7. When the vegetable are just about done to your liking, add the diced tomatoes, balsamic, tamari and cannellini beans and simmer until pasta is ready.
8. Drain pasta and toss with veggies and sauce, garnish with fresh basil and crushed red pepper, if using.

My niece and I also made crostini: Baguette toasted in the oven with olive oil and garlic, then topped with grape tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic and olive oil!

Bacon with a Vegan - Part II

2010-06-16T15:10:00.001-04:00

At long last, I have finally made Tempeh Bacon! My bacon adventures began back with Tofu as the main ingredient. This time, I decided to use the new, and slightly improved, Tempeh Bacon recipe found in Vegan Brunch (If you haven't checked it out yet, is probably one of the best cookbooks EVER)!

The ingredient list for the marinade is very basic: soy sauce, liquid smoke, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, garlic and some veggie broth. I sliced my tempeh nice and thin, and mixed up the liquid carefully, letting the strips marinate overnight. I then fried the stips in a little olive oil, adding a bit of the marinating liquid as I went. The strips browned up nicely, but made one MESS of my stainless steel pan, probably from the maple syrup in the marinade, and the fact that I used ketchup in place of the tomato paste. Carmelized sugars are nothing to fool with, but it was nothing a bit of simmering warm water and vinegar couldn't fix.

Anyway... the jury is still out with me on whether I like these tempeh bacon strips on their own. I can't say that the flavor on these, (straight out of the pan), blew me away like the tofu bacon did.

BUT, but, but...

the leftovers make a MEAN BLT sandwich!!! It actually ended up being a B&L sandwich, as I was fresh out of tomatoes, but you get the idea! There was something about these smokey, crispy tempeh strips on top of crunchy wheat toast which had been spread with Veganaise and topped with some nice romaine lettuce...

I think I'm in love... I had one for dinner every night until the strips were all gone ;)

Quick Vegan Pasta Alla Vodka

2010-06-14T11:14:00.003-04:00

Pasta and red sauce can be a quick and easy weeknight meal, but why not try something a bit more interesting.

This version of vegan vodka sauce is so simple to throw together, and lends itself to MANY spice variations, or veggie add-ins!

Pasta alla Vodka - Vegan style

16 ounces whole wheat pasta (I used rotini)

24 ounces tomato sauce
12 1/2 ounces silken tofu
2 ounces almond or soymilk
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 ounces vodka or red wine vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

*If you are using plain tomato puree instead of a sauce, I suggest adding some garlic or garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and a few hits of crushed red pepper.

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat tomato sauce in a saucepan over low to low-medium heat.

3. Blend tofu, soy milk, and nutritional yeast in blender until smooth. Feel free to also add about a tablespoon of olive oil or additional soy milk, until the consistency is like thick alfredo sauce.

4. Add tofu mixture to the saucepan with the marinara sauce. Stir in vodka or vinegar. Add salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like, to taste. Continue to simmer over low heat until pasta is ready.

5. Toss with drained pasta and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-06-07T15:05:00.012-04:00

Simple and yummy and vegan! (and totally "old skool") These cookies are chewy and delicious, and full of peanuty flavor. Enjoy these with a big glass of almond milk, or dip half in dark chocolate and let dry, for an extra decadent dessert.

The recipe below calls for ground flax seeds and water. Flax seeds are a excellent substitute for eggs in baking, and add fiber and omega 3s.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

3 tablespoons water

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

3/4 cup natural-style peanut butter

1/2 cup margarine, non-hydrongenated (I use Earth Balance)

3 tablespoons almond milk, unsweetened

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 dgrees.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Whip the ground flax seeds and water until thick and creamy.

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, milk and vanilla.

Beat at medium speed with a hand mixer until well blended.

Add flax seed mixture and beat until just combined.

Add flour mixture (and ground peanuts or chocolate chips if using) and mix until just blended.

Drop 1 tbsp of the batter onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Flatten slightly in a criss-cross pattern with the tines of a fork

(I use a pasty cutter, and roll it across the cookies, works better than a fork I think).

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Do not overbake.

Remove from oven and let cool on the sheet for 3-5 mintues before tranferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Better-Than-Tuna, Tempeh Salad

2010-05-03T21:54:00.043-04:00

My vegan version of a classic lunchtime treat!

For those of you who have never tried it, tempeh is a made from fermented soybeans that have been pressed into firm cakes. It has a "nutty" and meaty texture, and, like tofu, it absorbs flavors of surrounding ingredients really well. Tempeh is a very popular "meat" alternative for vegetarian and vegan cooks. The first step in this recipe has you poach the tempeh in boiling water, which mellows out the flavor, and makes it a bit more digestible.

Better-Than-Tuna, Tempeh Salad

Ingredients

8 ounces tempeh, crumbled into tiny pieces

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup scallion, finely chopped

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I prefer Vegenaise)

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 teaspoon celery salt (or to taste)

fresh black pepper, to taste

Steam the tempeh in a saucepan filled with just enough water to cover the tempeh.

I usually add a few splashes of soy sauce to the water for some extra flavor. Drain, and cool in fridge.
Mix remaining ingredients into a bowl, add cooled tempeh and mix well
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
This salad is amazing between two slices of toasted (or grilled) whole wheat bread. Feel free to substitute minced red onion for the scallion too.

So now I have a giant lunchmeat...

2010-04-27T19:17:00.004-04:00

...BUT boy does it taste GOOD!!

I'm not sure what it IS about this log o'seitan: the spices, the taste, the texture... but, I think I like it. It has a totally different texture than any of the seitan I've ever had before. If memory serves me correctly, I'd say it's something like spicy bologna or mild pepperoni...

So, I sliced it and cut it into triangles, and made a fajita, or soft taco...or quesadilla... something along those lines.

I sauteed the seitan pieces in a little olive oil, added some baby spinach leaves...

then melted a mound of shredded TEESE over it (Thanks to the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival: Teese is not sold in stores here...)

Wrapped this up in a whole wheat tortilla and dinner was ready.

Sauteing the seitan pieces give them a wonderful, crispy outside. Be sure not to overcook, as the pieces can get dry and had VERY quickly ^_^

Orzo With Roasted Red Peppers & Asparagus

2010-04-26T12:34:00.002-04:00

This was a quick dish I threw together the other night...

As a child, and even today, I loved orzo pasta simply prepared with margarine, salt and pepper. Since I didn't want to eat just that for dinner, I decided to add some veggies that I had on hand as well.

I used a 12 oz bag of frozen asparagus from Trader Joes, thawed for 5-6 minutes in the microwave, and then chopped into 1" pieces. Trader Joe's frozen asparagus tends to become very mushy, VERY fast, so keep an eye on it in the microwave, and add it to your skillet at the last minute. Spices were kind of a mix and match. I use a mix called Sandwich Sprinkle from Penzey's Spice Company, as well as basil and thyme.

Photo by ~Rita~

Orzo With Roasted Red Peppers & Asparagus

Ingredients

1 cup orzo pasta

12 ounces asparagus, thawed, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 large roasted red peppers, chopped

3 tablespoons margarine (Earth Balance)

2 garlic cloves, minced

garlic salt, to taste

basil, to taste

thyme, to taste

oregano, to taste

salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Cook orzo according to package directions.

2. Heat skillet over medium heat.

3. Spray with non stick cooking spray.

4. Add Earth Balance margarine and garlic and cook until fragrant.

5. Add chopped roasted red peppers and spices to taste.

6. Reduce heat to low, add chopped asparagus and stir to coat.

7. Drain orzo, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.

8. Add orzo to skillet, and gently mix, adding pasta water as needed.

Photo by ~Rita~

My search is over!

2010-04-22T13:17:00.004-04:00

The newly renovated Dave's Marketplace here in Smithfield, RI had Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten!! I've been looking for this EVERYWHERE, and have not been able to find it until now

I bought myself two bags in case I never find it again...

So....let the seitan experiments commence...

The infamous Seitan O'Greatness is going to be my first attempt. Any Post Punk Kitchen fan reading this will know exactlly what I am talking about. For those of you unfamiliar, feel free to click the link above, and read all about the fun!

I have always been extremely intimidated at the thought of making seitan. I've read countless cookbooks and blogs, describing the process, the DOs and DON'Ts, and I basically came to the conclusion that my attemps at making seitan would turn out to be a complete and utter F A I L U R E...

But then I read the description (the entire thread actually) of this Recipe O'Greatness, and thought "This can't be THAT hard"...

All the picutres I see of this thing look like a giant lunchmeat of some sort. Kinda cool, kinda different...I can't wait!

The only thing I'm personally planning to change in the recipe is the addition of cinnamon... (not really feelin' it). Allspice is enough "earthy-ness" for me But that is it. I figure I will make it once as written, and then play around with it...

Seitan Worship

2010-04-20T21:16:00.001-04:00

Seitan is pronounced [SAY-tan]

A protein-rich food made from wheat GLUTEN and used in many VEGETARIAN dishes. Seitan's firm texture is definitively chewy and meatlike (which is why it's also called wheat meat), and its flavor rather neutral. That mildness, however, allows seitan to be a kitchen chameleon that easily picks up the flavors of the foods with which it is cooked.

Basic Seitan - Chicken Flavor Photo by ME

For those of you who only know gluten as "taboo" in many of the gluten-free diets that seen to be cropping up all over, Gluten is actually the name of the insoluble protein in wheat, probably most familiar as the stuff that makes bread dough elastic. This elastic protein is actually know as “Seitan” in Japan, as “kofu” in China, and as "wheat meat" and "gluten" here in the U.S.

Seitan is a low fat, high protein, firm-textured meat substitute. It has been eaten in China, Japan, Korea, Russia and the Middle East for thousands of years. Gluten is often referred to in Chinese restaurants as "Buddha food", because of the claim that it was developed by pacifist, vegetarian Buddhist monks as a meat substitute. It is a food rich in tradition as well as nutrition.

It's a versatile healthy, low fat, low carbohydrate, high protein, cholesterol-free animal protein replacement for vegans, vegetarians and even meat lovers who want to give their intestines a break.

Three ounces of seitan contain 130 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 8 grams of carbohydrates and 20 grams of protein. This compares favorably with three ounces of steak, which contain the same amount of protein, but also 200 calories and 12 grams of fat – almost all saturated fat. And, unlike the steak, seitan contains zero cholesterol.

Making seitan the traditional way is extremely time consuming. If you use regular whole wheat or unbleached white flour, you first mix it with water and then KNEAD and KNEAD for at least 10 minutes. Wheat flour is basically just starch and gluten, and to get seitan, you must RINSE all the starch from the gluten, which involves lots water and patience.

Of course, the simplest option is to buy it already prepared in vacuum packs or plastic tubs at health food stores from the refrigerated section, BUT these are pretty expensive when you break down the price per ounce. This is the kind of seitan they sell at the Whole Foods I go to.

So that brings me to the magic of Vital Wheat Gluten Flour. This stuff is basically instant seitan in a bag, and I am sad to say, I've been having one heck of a time finding it anywhere lately!!

Our local Job Lots are now carrying the Bob's Red Mill brand grains and flours at a great discounted price, however, they have stopped carrying the Vital Wheat Gluten Flour...I suspect to make room for all their Gluten-Free mixes now *sad face*

Panko Stuffed Mushrooms - Veganomicon!

2009-10-07T12:30:00.009-04:00

While searching for something fresh and new to try for the old-standy party appetizer, Stuffed Mushrooms, I came across this Asian inspired recipe in Veganomicon

photo by Chef ~Jen~ @ REcipezaar

So many ~Stuffed Mushroom~ recipes are drizzled in butter, or contain the obligatory "canned" crab in the stuffing. And, here in good ol' New England, most stuffed mushrooms I see at parties or receptions are filled with SAUSAGE... (those crazy Italians!!)

I firmly believe these tasty little bites pass they test for both vegans and meat-eaters alike! And if daikon isn't an ingredient on your every-day pantry list, (I know it's not on mine too often), I subbed water chestnuts with no problem at all

photo by me :)

These would be a great starter for an "Asian themed" meal, as they can easily be prepared in advance (nice to know!! ) ^_^

Bacon with a Vegan

2009-10-06T00:19:00.007-04:00

Ok, so this weekend, I thought I'd try my hand at making my own Veggie Bacon. I've seen countless recipes in cookbooks and on the web, and generally, there seem to be two Vegan "Camps". Camp Tempeh, and Camp Tofu.

So which one to make...

Although the Vegan with a Vengeance (VWAV) recipe has always been in the back of my mind, I wasn't really in a tempeh kinda "mood". I also wasn't on the ball enough to make up the marinade ahead of time, as sometimes I am lazy...

So I found this recipe by my online cooking pal, Chef "Sharon123" over at Recipezaar! It's made using tofu, and as an added bonus, does NOT require overnight marinating.

Let me tell you, this stuff is GOOD. I loved the flavor of the soy sauce, liquid smoke and brown sugar SO MUCH, that I was even hesitant to add the nutritional yeast at the end, as the recipe stated. Do yourself a favor and DON'T skip it. The strips of fried tofu taste great with the simple marinade, but the nutritional yeast coating, sprinkled on at the end of the cooking time, totally MAKES IT!!

I nibbled on three pieces on their own, I really couldn't get enough.

But then I decided to give my tofu bacon a bit more purpose, and made this:

Tofu Baco BLT: Toasted wheat bread slathered in Veganaise, topped with leafy green lettuce, and slices of a gorgeous red tomato

And, my two favorite guys!! Pic posted here, just cuz... ^_^

Farewell, My Summer Love...

2009-10-02T07:45:00.021-04:00

The fruits of the Summer are becoming a dying breed, so I probably won't be seeing too many more of these gorgeous babies:

And so, for my last two deliciously juicy pints of local grape tomatoes of the Summer, I went for plain and simple:

I sliced the tomatoes in half, drizzled them with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkled them liberally with salt, italian seasoning, (a bit of Sandwich Sprinkle by Penzeys), black pepper and crushed red pepper. I added to that four cloves of fresh garlic, squeezed through my garlic press and mixed gently.

By the time I boiled my whole wheat pasta, the flavors had combined nicely.

If only I had some fresh basil left... Maybe next time! ^_^

Creamy Cucumber Salad Dressing

2009-09-30T21:03:00.003-04:00

For my first VeganMoFo post, I'd like to share a funny story from my childhood, and a quick and simple salad dressing... I am a HUGE fan of making my own salad dressing from scratch. Have you ever read the lables on some of those bottled dressing in supermarkets!?!? Half of them are utter garbage. It literally takes two-minutes to wisk up a vinaigrette in your own kitchen, and it tastes a WHOLE-lot better that the mass produced mixtures of cheap oil, water, MSG and other wretchedly unnatural chemicals sitting on our super market's shelves.

And now for my embarrasing childhood story. In my pre-veggie loving days, as a young child, my favorite salad dressing was none other than CREAMY BACON... (yes, my arteries harden just thinking about it). I don't even think Wishbone makes this stuff anymore...

Anyhoo, in honor of the "Creamy Bacon" salad days of my past, I give you this:

Creamy Cucumber Dressing- Vegan style!

**Some notes: I like to use 2 small (pickling) cucumbers, rather than 1 large because of the seeds. IF using a large or non-organic cucumber, make sure there is no wax on the peel, and scrap some of the seeds out! For a thicker, creamier dressing add more cashews and less water; for a thinner, lighter dressing add more water and fewer nuts.

Ingredients

2 small cucumbers, chopped (peel and all if organic)

1/2 cup cashews, soaked

1/4 cup water (more or less depending on how thick you like)

1 lemon, juice of

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (to taste)

1 tablespoon agave nectar (to taste)

2 tablespoons dried dill (or 1/2 bunch fresh)

1 tablespoon sea salt (to taste)

1 tablespoon black pepper (to taste)

Directions
1. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender, adding water as needed.

2. If using fresh dill, blend 1/2 of it at first, them add the rest after the cucumbers and cashews are smooth!

3. Dressing will thicken in fridge.

Farewell to my Farmer's Market (at least until next year)

2009-09-29T18:56:00.000-04:00

The University where I work sponsored a beautiful Farmer's Market every Friday, since the first week of school.

Today, in honor of the campus "Eat Local Challenge," was the final one of the season. Our campus community came out it great droves from the hours of 11 - 2, to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables, home made breads and jellies. I, for one, am quite sad to see it go...

So for my final haul, I picked up these:

Photo taken with iPhone, sorry...

I see in my future... warm whole wheat pasta, topped with these halved tomatoes, olive oil, basil and lots of fresh garlic... (and crushed red pepper too, cuz that's how I roll)

VEGANMOFO III

2009-09-29T09:48:00.000-04:00

October has been deemed the "Vegan Month of Food" by the veggie blogosphere. For the entire month, vegan cooks and bloggers will post their various musings about the wonderful world of vegan cooking.

Come check out all the tasty stuff that made in my kitchen for the month of October!! My original blog and website, made on my Mac, is here. I have not abandoned it, however it's much easier to connect with the other vegan friends on here using this format...

Isa Chandra Moskowitz, creater of the Post Punk Kitchen (PPK) website, and author of such amazing cookbooks as Vegan with a Vengeance, Veganomicon, and the newest, Vegan Brunch, is the master behind this amazing collection of culinary inspiration. Isa modeled this event after NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, held yearly in November). (which I think is pretty darn cool...)

Read more about the inspiration behind this event in an interview with her: Here! from Veg News

so much to think about...what should I make tonight?