"...but where do you get your protein?"

Boozy Bananas with Spiced Chocolate Sauce

2009-08-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

Another way to spiffy up bananas.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
Chocolate Sauce
3/8 cup heavy whipping cream
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Bananas
2-3 small bananas
1 1/2 tbsp. butter or buttery spread
1 1/2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. rum
1/2 tbsp. tequila

Ice cream

Method:
1. Make the chocolate sauce by combining the cream, chocolate, cinnamon, and cloves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the chocolate is melted. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Stir in the vanilla and remove from the heat. The sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead. Just cover and refrigerate it until ready to use.

2. Cut the bananas crosswise in half. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Increase the heat to high and add the bananas and brown sugar. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bananas are soft and the sugar has created a syrupy sauce. Add the rum and tequila and boil 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened.

3. Scoop ice cream into bowls and surround it with the banana mixture. Drizzle with the chocolate sauce and enjoy immediately.

Reference:
Banana Sundaes with Mexican Chocolate Sauce from the August/September 2001 issue of Cooking Pleasures.

Citrusy Carrots with Ginger Ale and Honey

2009-08-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

These are the fantastic carrots referenced in the chickpea patties post.

Quick pause for an advert: Reed's make fabulous ginger beer :) I highly recommend it if you're looking for a high-fructose corn syrup-free soda. The only disappointment is their stuff has honey so it's not vegan.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1/2 pound carrots, sliced
1/2 cup ginger ale (pref. HFCS-free)
1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 orange
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.

1. Steam or boil the carrots for 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Drain. Pour the ginger ale, honey, ginger, zests, orange juice, and lemon juice over the carrots. Bring this mixture to a boil and then transfer everything to an oven-safe dish.

2. Bake for about 35 minutes until the liquid reduces. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Reference:
Ginger Ale and Honey Braised Carrot Coins from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

My Changes:
*Steamed carrots prior to baking.
*Added lemon zest.

Chickpea Patties

2009-08-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, I'm not one for fake meat. I'm actually not even sure I understand why other vegetarians/vegans go for processed meat substitutes. We gave up meat.. why on earth would we want to eat that?
Besides, have you ever read the ingredient list on one of those packages? They read like the contents of a cupboard in a science lab. I'm all for science and progress, just not in my food!
Not wanting to eat hydrolyzed whatever, I prefer to make stuff from ingredients with names I can pronounce. I think this may just be a new favourite in the realm of meat substitutes.

I actually had this while DH was having oven-fried chicken. We had the same sides (potatoes mashed with goat cheese and some lovely carrots - entry coming soon). Our plates looked very similar :) Unfortunately, I was starving by the time I was done cooking and completely forgot to take a photo... I was also going to make a mustard sauce to go with these. Can we say brain fart?
(I own 3 cameras... you'd think I'd be better at taking blog photos...)

Serves 4 (1 cutlet each)

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup panko
1/4 cup vegetable broth (or water)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried sage
Extra oil for frying

Method:
1. Give the chickpeas a spin in the blender or food processor until they are mashed and no whole chickpeas remain. Transfer the smushed beans to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Knead with your hands for 3-4 minutes until strings of gluten have formed (i.e.: it all starts to stick together and it becomes "elastic" when pulled apart).

2. Heat the frying oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. While the oil heats up, form the chickpea mixture into 4 cutlets by flattening and stretching them. Place the cutlets into the skillet and cook 6-7 minutes on each side until lightly browned (turn once).

Reference:
Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon.

Orange Muffins - Two Ways

2009-08-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

I recently got some crystallised ginger to make some Grasmere gingerbread but have been experimenting with using it in other recipes. It worked really well in these new twists on a muffin favourite of mine.

There are two sets of ingredients but the method section is the same.
Each set of ingredients yields 12 muffins.

These are great served warm.

Orange-Cranberry-Ginger Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup crystallised ginger, chopped
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple-sauce or canola oil
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 banana, well mashed or 2 eggs
Cooking spray
1 tbsp. turbinado sugar

Orange-Ginger Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup crystallised ginger, chopped
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple-sauce or canola oil
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 banana, well mashed or 2 eggs
Cooking spray
1 tbsp. turbinado sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a muffin tin with unbleached paper liners.

2. Combine flour and the ingredients up to nutmeg in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

3. Combine brown sugar, oil or applesauce, orange rind, juice, and eggs in a separate bowl; stir with a whisk.

4. Add the juice mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into the muffin cups. Sprinkle the batter with turbinado sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Reference:
Based on Orange-Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffins from the January/February 2008 issue of Cooking Light.

My Changes:
*Used crystallised ginger in place of some or all of the dried cranberries.
*Replaced half of the cinnamon in the orange-ginger version with ground ginger.

Avocado-Tomato Rotelle

2009-08-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

I love it when avocados are cheap ;)

This has a great, almost no-cook sauce. In fact, I bet this would make a fantastic pasta salad.

Works well as a quick lunch or dinner.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 oz. rotelle (wheel-shaped pasta)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 large avocado, diced
1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Parmesan cheese

Method:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and then cook the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and cook 5 minutes or until warmed through.

3. Toss the tomato mixture with the pasta and then add the avocado and basil. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.

Reference:
Avocado-Tomato Rotelle from the July 2006 issue of Cooking Pleasures.

Avocado-Tomato Stack

2009-08-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

I've made the dressing for this two different ways so I'll include both.

Avocado-Tomato Stack with Cilantro-Lime Dressing
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tbsp. sour cream or plain yoghurt
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
4 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, very thinly sliced
1 small avocado
Freshly ground black pepper

Avocado-Tomato Stack with Lemon-Basil Dressing
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp. sour cream or plain yoghurt
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
4 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, very thinly sliced
1 small avocado
Freshly ground black pepper

The method is the same for either dressing.
Method:
1. Make buttermilk by combining the milk plus the lemon juice or vinegar. Mix and then let this stand for 10 minutes. To make the dressing, add the buttermilk plus the next seven ingredients (through red pepper flakes) to the bowl of a food processor. Process 30 seconds or until well blended. Cover and chill.

2. Layer 1 tomato slice on each of 4 plates. Top each piece with a little red onion and some avocado. Repeat these layers three times, ending with avocado. Drizzle each stack with dressing and sprinkle with additional black pepper, if desired.

Reference:
Based on Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Stack from the June 2008 issue of Cooking Light.

My Changes:
*DIY buttermilk.
*Used additional sour cream in place of mayonnaise.
*Used full-fat sour cream (not low-fat).
*The lemon-basil dressing idea was suggested as a variation in the original recipe. However, when I tried it, I added in the oregano in place of the cumin called for in the cilantro-lime/original version.
*Used regular vine-ripened tomatoes (in this economy, you use what you have!) Would like to try it with fancier heirloom ones, though. :)

Dinner-Lady Carrots

2009-08-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

I love Jamie Oliver. He speaks my language. ;)
The name of this recipe made me giggle but I feel a need to do a little translation so you're not thinking "what the heck is a dinner lady and why is she being included in these carrots?"
"Dinner" is what the English call lunch (in the part of England I'm from, we refer to the evening meal as "tea" not to be confused with the drink).
A "dinner lady," then, is what English school children call a school cafeteria worker.
Apparently Jamie Oliver saw a group of dinner ladies making carrots this way (sans wine, of course!) and that's how they got their name.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb 10 oz carrots (~2 cups), peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp. non-dairy, non-hydrogenated spread
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
The zest and juice of 1 orange
A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
A small wineglass of white wine
3/4 cup vegetable broth

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a baking dish non-stick spray or rub it with some canola oil or buttery spread.
Steam or boil the carrots until crisp-tender.

2. Mix the garlic with the orange zest, parsley, and oregano. Scatter a bit of this over the oiled dish. Add a layer of carrots to the dish along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle the layer of carrots with olive oil and then sprinkle with some of the parsley-zest mixture. Continue these steps until you run out of carrots.

3. Pour in the orange juice, wine, and enough broth to cover the carrots. Lay a sheet of wax paper over the carrots (tuck in the edges). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the carrots are cooked.

Reference:
Dinner-Lady Carrots from Cook with Jamie by Jamie Oliver.

My Changes:
*Giving the carrots a quick steam prior to layering and baking them. When I made them without this step they refused to soften up!
*I added a bit of dried oregano.
*Used Earth Balance in place of butter to make a vegan version of the recipe.

Proof I'll use avocado for anything...

2009-08-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Another winner in the vegan cupcake category. :) These aren't too much different from the other vegan chocolate cupcakes I've made (I really do need to branch out and try other flavours of vegan cupcake) but they have an ingredient that makes them pretty special - AVOCADO!

Yes, my favourite fruit stars in these hunks of chocolately love.
The avocado works as a great substitute for the egg and most of the oil/butter. Since I knew we wouldn't be eating them all at the same time, I skipped a glaze or icing but I'll put a link at the bottom to the original recipe that includes a glaze idea. In the meantime, I'll be working on coming up with a vegan-approved topping that doesn't involve tofu...

Will have to try these again soon using applesauce in place of the oil and adding some semi-sweet chocolate chips (with the tofu-free glaze, of course!) :)

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 avocado, pitted and peeled (i.e.: scooped out of the shell)
1 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup plain non-dairy milk
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
12 unbleached muffin tin liners

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line cupcake pan with liners.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to combine them.

2. Puree the avocado in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add the maple syrup, milk, oil, and vanilla extract and continue to blend until the mixture is creamy. Use the whisk to combine this concoction with the dry ingredients.

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool and then decorate if desired.

Reference:
Here's a link to the original recipe "Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes" from the September 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. You can find the glaze recipe there.

Menu Plan: August 8-14

2009-08-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday - Chickpea cutlets, smashed potatoes with goat cheese and chives, and ginger ale and honey braised carrots.

Sunday - Black beans in chipotle-adobo sauce, grilled zucchini with corn-radish relish

Monday - Zucchini-tomato gratin (the Italian version) with pasta

Tuesday - Garbanzo gorma, cauliflower with curry sauce

Wednesday - Havana black beans, cilantro-lime rice

Thursday - Stuffed shells

Friday - Coconut-curry soup

Extras:
*Moroccan oranges
*Bananas with Mexican chocolate sauce
*Mayan-spiced chocolate pudding
*Bananas in sweet coconut milk
*Coconut rice pudding
*Orange-cranberry-ginger muffins
*Orange-ginger muffins
*Vegan chocolate cupcakes with avocado

Zucchini-Tomato Gratin (South-of-the-Border Style)

2009-08-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

This is actually based on a recipe with an Italian flair.
I had planned to make this last night but didn't squeeze it in so tonight I had part of a zucchini that needed to be used up as well as an avocado that needed to be used. I decided the Italian flavours of the original recipe wouldn't work very well with my tomato-cilantro-avocado soup but I could manage switching this up a bit to make it work. Hey, I may be English but I've lived in San Diego for the best part of 20 years. I know Mexican food flavours. :)

Here's the result of my recipe tweaking. It worked out really well and made a nice accompaniment to the soup. The only disappointment was that the big flavours of the cilantro and jalapeno overpowered the mild tomato and zucchini. But, I suppose if you have someone who turns their nose up at tomato and/or zucchini, this may just work out OK for you. ;)

**If you leave off the panko, this is gluten-free.**

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced into rounds
1/2 tsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp. black olives
1/8 cup chopped cilantro
Small amount of jalapeno pepper, chopped (about 1/2 tsp.)
1/8 cup panko
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1/8 cup mozzarella, shredded

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the zucchini until golden.
Mix the panko and oregano in a small bowl then mix in the cheeses.

2. Layer half of the tomato and zucchini slices in a baking pan. Top with half of the garlic, olives, cilantro, jalapeno, and panko mixture. Season with black pepper. Repeat with the remaining tomato and zucchini slices and then the remaining garlic, olives, cilantro, jalapeno, and panko-cheese mix. Add more black pepper if desired. Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Reference:
Based on Zucchini-Tomato Gratin from the July /August 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times.

My Changes:
*Used cilantro in place of basil.
*Added jalapeno, panko, oregano.
*Used cheddar and mozzarella mixture in place of Parmesan.
*Used black olives in place of kalamata olives.
*Skipped the step involving salting the tomatoes and zucchini (worked out fine without doing this).

Mexican Rice Soup

2009-08-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely light soup. Perfect for a summer evening.
It goes together very quickly once the broth has been prepared (and even that doesn't take long).

The shorter-grained rice and avocado give this soup a nice creaminess without making it heavy.

I actually made this a while ago and paired it with avocado bruschetta. Tonight, I had it with zucchini-tomato gratin. Both meal combinations worked really well together.

Serves 6

Ingredients: Broth
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves, garlic, crushed
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tbsp. grated lime zest
Juice of 2 limes, squeezed
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 cups water

Soup
1/4 cup short- or medium-grain rice
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1 avocado, diced (approx. 1 cup)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Method:
1. Make the broth first. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic and continue to saute for another minute. Add the veggie broth, zest, lime juice, oregano, and water. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the broth to simmer for 10 minutes then strain it, discarding the solids and returning the liquid to the pan.

2. Add the rice to the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover the pan and allow the rice to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and corn and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer an additional 10 minutes.

3. Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the avocado, green onions, and cilantro.

Reference:
Based on Mexican Rice Soup from the September 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times.

My Changes:
*I actually used 1/2 avocado for 1 serving. :) What can I say? I love the stuff. I placed part of it on the bottom of the bowl before pouring the soup in and then added the rest on the top.
*Added the lime juice.
*Skipped the tortilla strips. I thought about breaking up tortilla chips but couldn't get the effect I wanted. (The original recipe called for 1 tortilla to be cut into thin strips, baked, and then used to garnish the soup).

'Shroom Fra Diavolo

2009-08-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

A vegetarian version of Shrimp Fra Diavolo.

This was yummy, it just didn't look very appetizing so I skipped the photo!

It needs a bit more "heat" so I'll experiment with adding more crushed red pepper next time.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 portobello caps, cleaned and stems removed
1/2 tbsp. olive or canola oil
4-5 button or cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 tsp. (or more) crushed red pepper
1 tsp. capers, drained
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 servings uncooked pasta

Method:
1. Brush grill grates with oil and preheat grill to medium heat. Grill the portobello until slightly darkened and softened (I didn't time it... 5-6 minutes). Once grilled, slice the mushrooms and then cut each slice in half.
Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. While the portobello grills, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped cremini or button mushrooms and the garlic. Saute for 5-6 minutes until softened.

3. Add the marinara sauce, capers, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt to the sauteeing mushrooms. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the portobello slices and cook 7-8 minutes until everything is cooked through.
Serve over the cooked pasta.

Reference:
Based on Shrimp Fra Diavolo from the October 2007 issue of Cooking Light.

Changes:
*Used portobello mushroom in place of shrimp.
*Sauteed button mushrooms with a little garlic.
*Added capers.
*Will add sliced kalamata or black olives next time.

Time for Tea

2009-08-03T16:23:00.000-07:00

These are one of those quintessential English tea-time treats.
I can remember making these in home economics in primary and secondary school and they have been a life-long favourite of mine.

I recently re-stumbled across an old recipe and then found another recipe (with a yummy addition) so I decided it was time to get back to my roots!
Both recipes I used were English and I didn't think to go back and measure in cups after I weighed everything. I'll have to do that and come back when I have a bit more time.

These are very quick and easy to make.

Best enjoyed with a cuppa. Translation: hot black tea, preferably with a little milk and, as some Brits like, a bit of sugar.

Proper English Flapjacks

*Note: These are best made with real butter so you get the real sticky toffee taste. However, I do believe they are vegan if you make them with a buttery spread such as Earth Balance.
Yeay! :) (That's the sound of vegan ex-pats rejoicing!)

*Quick edit: I think these may also be gluten-free! Oats are one of those iffy items on GF lists but I know you can find them that are GF.

*Note #2: While I highly recommend getting the proper Lyle's Golden Syrup, you can sub honey or maple syrup if you can't find it. (Lyle's and maple syrup are vegan but honey is not).

Ingredients:
100 grams butter (about 1 stick plus 1 tbsp)
100 grams light brown sugar
1 tbsp. Lyle's Golden Syrup
150 grams rolled oats

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 7-inch square pan really well (these are extremely sticky so make sure you grease the heck out of that pan!)

2. Place the butter, sugar, and Golden Syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook gently over low heat until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the oats. Transfer to the prepared baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

3. Let the flapjacks cool for about 10 minutes before cutting them into rectangles or squares. Leave in the tin until they are completely cooled.

Reference:
Based on Flapjack recipe from Wyndham School Home Economics 1st Year Recipe Book (lol... that was my secondary school home ec book from 7th grade! Yes, I'm almost 32 but I still have it! Bit of nostalgia...) and Susan's Southsea Flapjacks from Fresh Mama's (a cookbook put together by a work parent and some of her friends).

Summer Evening Pasta

2009-08-03T16:07:00.000-07:00

Recipes like this make me wish I had a green thumb (apparently, that trait is not genetic). As great as this was with store-bought stuff, I bet it would be three times as nice made with seriously fresh, straight-from-the-garden tomatoes and basil.

The no-cook sauce and quick prep time make this an especially wonderful dinner for a summer evening. Lovely with a salad and a glass of white wine.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 ripe, really fresh tomatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp. fresh basil, minced
1/8 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp. black or kalamata olives, chopped
1-2 tsp. capers, drained
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 pound short pasta (wagon wheels, butterflies, penne...)
1/2 cup cooked white/navy beans

Method:
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the pre-cooked beans during the last few minutes of cooking time just to warm them through.

2. While the pasta cooks, place half of the tomatoes in a large bowl along with the onion, olives, capers, and basil.

3. Place the remaining tomato chunks into a blender or food processor bowl. Add the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic. Puree until smooth. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the tomato-caper-basil mixture.

4. Once the pasta and beans are ready, drain and add them to the bowl with the tomato mixture. Toss well and serve immediately.

Reference:
Pasta with Salsa Cruda from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favourites.

My Changes:
*Added capers and olives.
*Added the beans for extra protein.

Smoky Portobello Burgers

2009-08-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

This may just be my new favourite thing to do with a mushroom! Absolutely lovely!

My husband won't touch mushrooms with a 10-foot pole but I bet normal meat-eaters would be more than happy to eat these! :)
They are vegan if you skip the cheese so they make a great option for grilling if you're having a mixed crowd over.

You can make these into "slider-style" sandwiches using baby portobellos and dinner rolls.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 regular-sized portobello mushrooms (or 8 baby portobellos)
3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 tbsp. BBQ rub (see below)
2 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I love this homemade one)
3/4 cup shredded cheese
4 sesame hamburger buns (or 8 dinner rolls)

BBQ Rub:
(this will make about 3/4 cup of rub. It will keep in the fridge if stored in an airtight container).
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/8 cup paprika
3 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. sea salt or kosher salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Method:
1. Prepare the BBQ rub by mixing all the ingredients together. Toss the mushrooms in a large bowl with 1 tbsp. of the oil and the BBQ rub. Set aside.

2. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and herbes de Provence and cook for 30 minutes or until golden. Remove from the heat.

3. Rub grill grate with veggie oil. Heat the grill over medium-high heat. Place the mushrooms stem-side down on the grill. Brush the tops with BBQ sauce and grill until soft and charred around the edges. Flip and grill a few minutes more. Place a little cheese on the stem-side of each mushroom and grill until the cheese is melted.

4. While the cheese melts, grill the buns. Assemble by placing one mushroom on each of the bottom buns and then top with the sauteed onion mixture and the top bun. Add a little more BBQ sauce to the buns if desired.

Reference:
Smoky Baby Portobello Sliders from the July/August issue of Vegetarian Times.

Changes:
*Used regular-sized mushroom.
*Used cheddar in place of gouda (I bet this would be fantastic with blue cheese!)

Baked Bananas (with Rum!)

2009-08-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

The only thing better than cooked fruit: fruit cooked with booze. ;)

Makes a fantastic quick dessert. Great served with ice cream (or you could be good and serve it with fresh berries).

I'm 99% sure this is vegan if you make it with the non-dairy spread.

The photo does not even begin to do this justice...

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. butter or non-hydrogenated non-dairy spread
1/2 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tbsp. rum
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2 ripe (but firm) bananas, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Melt the butter and then mix it in with the lemon juice, maple syrup, rum, and cinnamon.

3. Put the bananas in a shallow dish then spoon the buttered rum mixture over them. Bake about 8 minutes or until soft.

4. Remove the bananas from the oven and then preheat the broiler. Broil a couple minutes until the sauce turns into a glaze. Garnish with fresh berries if desired. Serve with ice cream, frozen yoghurt, or non-dairy ice cream.

Reference:
Bananas Baked with Buttered Rum from The Occasional Vegetarian.

The only change I made was to use mango rum in place of the dark rum called for in the recipe. (I was home alone and couldn't reach the good stuff in the back of the liquor cabinet so I grabbed what was available).
The mango rum worked out great but I'll have to try this with some of the yummy Appleton run we brought back from Jamaica...

Avocado Bruschetta

2009-08-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Argentinean chimichurri sauce puts a Latin twist on the ever-popular Italian appetizer.

Fast and easy to make!

Serves 2-3 (as a side dish or appetizer)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp. garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 avocado, cubed
2-3 1/2-inch thick slices of good bread (ciabatta, French baguette, Italian), toasted

Method:
1. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, red pepper, black pepper, and oregano in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil and then stir in the cilantro and parsley. Carefully fold in the avocado chunks. Spoon the mixture onto the toasted bread.

Reference:
Avocado Chimichurri Bruschetta from the September 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times.

I don't remember changing anything (I made this over a month ago) but I'd love to try adding some tomato to this next time.
*I'll try to remember to take a photo next time, too!*

Pasta Shells with Spicy Tomato Sauce

2009-08-02T07:37:00.001-07:00

This is a fast and easy, slightly spicy pasta dish.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2-3 tomatoes, cut into small chunks (keep the seeds)
1-2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 pound small pasta shells
1 cup cooked black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Method:
1. Heat the olive oil over low heat in a medium skillet. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the garlic begins to turn golden, 2-3 minutes. Add the jalapeno and saute an additional 1-2 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, 1/2-1 tsp. salt, and pepper. Cover partially and cook until the tomatoes begin to fall apart (10-12 minutes). Stir every few minutes. Add the beans to the sauce during the last 2-3 minutes of the sauce cooking time.
While the sauce cooks, cook the pasta according to package directions. Add the corn to the pasta during the last few minutes of pasta cooking time.

3. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss to combine. Garnish with cilantro and season with additional salt if desired.

Reference:
Pasta Shells with Spicy Tomato Sauce from The Occasional Vegetarian.

My changes:
*Added onion.
*Added corn and black beans.
*Used regular vine-ripened tomatoes in place of plum tomatoes.

Chocolate Brickle Cookies

2009-07-31T14:34:00.000-07:00

These are the real reason I made that toffee. ;)
They disappeared before I had a chance to take a photo... guess that's just an excuse to make more!

About 5 1/2 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup toffee bits

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. Pulse the oats in the food processor until finely ground. Whisk the oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes (or until blended). Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Reduce the mixer to low speed and beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the nuts, chocolate, and toffee bits.

3. Scoop tablespoons of the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten to ~1/2-inch thick. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Reference:
Chocolate Brickle Cookies from Cooking Pleasures magazine (unfortunately I forgot to write down the date before ripping it out of the magazine so I'm not sure which issue this was from...)

English Toffee

2009-07-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

Not really sure why this is called English toffee... It's nothing like what I call toffee! lol ;) Toffee to the English is soft and chewy, not crunchy. Oh well, this stuff is still fanbloodytastic. :)
It's like a Heath bar without the chocolate. Of course, if you wanted a home-made Heath bar, you could just pour melted chocolate over the top or throw a cut-up chocolate bar on it while the toffee is still warm.

You'll want a decent candy/deep-fry thermometer for this. They're not expensive and are worth having since they come in very handy during the holiday baking season! :)

Makes 1 1/4 pounds

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (use the real stuff)
1 cup sugar

Optional:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks/chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Method:
1. Combine the butter and sugar in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Cook until the candy thermometer reaches 300 F.

2. Quickly spread the mixture into a 15x10x1-inch pan.
If you're using chocolate, sprinkle it over the top now. Let it sit 5 minutes and then spread the chocolate over the toffee. Sprinkle with nuts if desired.

3. Cool the candy completely and then break it into pieces.

**To prevent your toffee from separating, fight the urge to stir! I know, it's tough! :)
In the beginning, stir occasionally until it reach 260-265 F. Then pretty much quit stirring (only a few times) while it continues cooking up to 300 F.
You will need to stir from time to time to prevent it from burning, but try to do it as little as possible.

Reference:
English Toffee from Land O'Lakes Baking: Trusted Recipes.

Curried Udon Noodles

2009-07-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

This meal included two firsts: My first attempt at making a meat substitute (seitan) and my first time trying out udon noodles.

This dish can be quite spicy. If you're not much into heat, use a mild curry powder and omit the hot pepper.

Overall, this was really yummy. I'm not really into fake meat, though... I quit eating meat; why would I want to eat fake meat? :) I do like to try new things, though, so I gave the seitan a shot. It definitely tasted OK (I never really was a red meat fan, though) but it had this odd chewy texture. I think I'll stick to beans in the future. :) I am pleased to say that hubby did try a piece and thought the flavour was almost spot-on.
So, to wrap all that up, if you're looking for a half-decent meat substitute, this might just be it!

Plan ahead:
There's quite a bit of prep that goes into this but once you have all the ingredients together, the final product goes together very quickly.
Prep and bake the seitan early in the day (or the night before). Let it cool and then store it in the refrigerator (in the liquid you baked it in) until you're ready to use it.

Seitan
Makes 6 cutlets

Ingredients:
Broth:
6 cups vegetable broth
3 tbsp. soy sauce

Cutlets:
1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup cold vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Prepare the broth by bringing the 6 cups of veggie broth and 3 tbsp. soy sauce to a boil in a saucepan. Turn off the heat and keep it covered until your ready to use it.

2. Place the vital wheat gluten in a mixing bowl. Mix the 1/2 cup cold veggie broth, 1/4 cup soy sauce, oil, garlic, and lemon zest together in a large measuring jug. Pour the wet mixture into the flour and combine using a wooden spoon.

3. Use your hands to knead the mixture for about 3 minutes or until the dough is elastic. Divide the dough into six equal pieces (you can do this by rolling it into a log and then slicing it into circles).

4. Take each of the six pieces of dough and stretch them into oblong cutlet shapes (about 1/2-inch thick). You'll need to put some elbow grease into it. :)

5. Pour the heated veggie broth-soy sauce mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish/casserole. Place the cutlets into the broth and bake them for 30 minutes, uncovered. Turn them over and bake an additional 20 minutes.

These are now ready to be used in any recipe calling for seitan.

Curried Udon Noodle Stir-Fry
4 servings

*I used dry udon noodles for this since all the fresh ones I could find were junk. Seriously... the ingredients were really scary! Not to mention non-vegetarian. :(
I live in a part of San Diego where you can find TONS of great Asian ingredients so I never thought I'd have so much trouble finding decent fresh noodles... sigh. Maybe I need to try one of the Asian markets next time.

I found the dry ones in the Asian section of the grocery store, near the rice and panko (they were hiding on the bottom shelf - if you can't find them, look down!)

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fresh or dried udon noodles

Curry Roux Sauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp. sugar

Udon Stir-Fry
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin strips
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1/2-1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1 hot pepper (I used a jalapeno), seeded and sliced very thin
2 seitan cutlets (see above), sliced into thin strips
1/2 pound broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2-3 tbsp. soy sauce

Method:
1. Cook the udon according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold water.

2. While the udon cooks, make the curry roux. Combine the flour and 2 tbsp. oil in a small saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat (stir it constantly) until it's a nice caramel colour and it smells toasty. This can take up to 10 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and garam masala then cook another minute while continuing to stir constantly.

3. Use a wire whisk to stir the vegetable broth into the curry-flour mixture. Add the sugar and cook the roux, whisking constantly, until a thick sauce forms. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a large skillet or wok. Cook the onion in the hot oil for 5-6 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the ginger, bell pepper, carrot slices, hot pepper, and seitan. Stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and peas and stir-fry 4-5 more minutes until the broccoli turns bright green.

5. Add the udon noodles to the veggies and sprinkle the mixture with soy sauce. Stir-fry an additional 2-3 minutes (2 chopsticks or spatulas will make your life much easier).

6. Whisk 1/4 cup of the veggie broth into the curry roux. Pour the sauce over the udon-vegetable mixture and stir so everything is coated. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes until the sauce is simmering and the noodles are warm.

Serve immediately.

References:
Seitan Cutlets from Veganomicon. No changes.
Curried Udon Noodle Stir-Fry from Veganomicon.

Changes I made to the stir-fry:
*Jalapeno in place of hot red chile.
*Added peas.
*Added sliced carrots.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2009-07-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

Or scones as I like to call them. And, yes, that is pronounced "skon" (rhymes with on), not "skown" (rhymes with own). ;)

Super easy.

8 biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter
3/4 cup buttermilk (or 3/4 tbsp. vinegar/lemon juice plus enough milk to make 3/4 cup. Let stand 10 minutes)
1 tbsp. butter, melted

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup butter with a knife or fork. Rub with your fingers until it resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk until the flour mixture is just moistened.

2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 times or until smooth. Roll out the dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter or a glass to cut into biscuit shapes.

3. Place the biscuits 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with the melted butter. Bake 10-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Reference:
Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits from Land O'Lakes Baking: Trusted Recipes.

Minty Chickpea Salad

2009-07-31T07:45:00.000-07:00

I had this with the veggie skewers. It made a really refreshing summer salad.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1/2 cup dried)
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/8 cup mint, chopped

Method:
1. Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, and salt. Add the chickpeas, vegetables, and herbs and stir well to combine.

Reference:
Minty Chickpea-Vegetable Salad from the July/August 2009 issue of VegNews.

My changes:
*Green onions in place of scallions.
*Cilantro in place of flat-leaf parsley.

Vegetable Skewers

2009-07-31T07:17:00.000-07:00

I have about 6 zillion things to blog from the last month so bear with me... :) Maybe I can figure out how to only publish a couple each day.

I love food cooked on skewers! When I taught pre-kindergarten I used to make fruit kabobs with my class all the time. Yum! Amazing how sticking fruit on a stick can get kids to eat it! lol :)
Note to self: Remember to get some great rosemary stems so I can use those to make skewers.

**Plan ahead. The vegetables will need to sit in the vinaigrette for at least one hour (or overnight) prior to grilling.**

Serves 2-3

Ingredients: Rosemary-Dijon Vinaigrette
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

Veggie Skewers
12 button or cremini mushrooms (stems removed)
1/2 red or green bell pepper (or a mix of both), seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 yellow squash, cut into 6 rounds
1/2 zucchini, cut into 6 rounds

Method:
1. Prepare the rosemary-vinaigrette. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, green onion, lemon juice, and zest in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and mix until the mixture emulsifies. Stir in the rosemary and then add black pepper and salt if desired.

2. Toss the veggies in the vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

3. Rub grill or veggie basket with vegetable oil. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Thread the veggies onto 6 pre-soaked skewers. Grill the skewers 3-4 minutes per side until veggies are softened.

Reference:
Based on Farm Stand Vegetable Skewers with Rosemary-Dijon Vinaigrette from the July/August issue of Vegetarian Times.

My changes:
I omitted the red potatoes and sugar snap peas that were called for in the original recipe (last-minute decision to make this!) I'll have to try those next time.
I used white wine vinegar in place of the sherry vinegar.
I used a green onion in place of a small shallot in the vinaigrette.

Gah... Duped Again!

2009-07-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

So I'm adding agave nectar to my list of no-nos...
Just when I thought I'd found this great, after-taste-free, vegan-approved sweetener I find out it was probably all lies.
Here's a link to the article that was sent to me by a friend who shares my love of all things natural and un-processed.

Agave: A Triumph of Marketing over Truth

They plug stevia at the end a bit so I feel a need to add that I read stevia has its own set of issues. It really should only be used in moderation (at least they do mention that in the article) and (of course) I'm all for avoiding those fake stevia things that seem to be popping up now.

What a shame... At least there are still things like honey and maple syrup. I'll be sticking to those along with organic evaporate cane juice!

Veggie Stacks

2009-06-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

A great way to use up veggies that are taking over your garden (I'm jealous!) or your farmer's market finds.

The tart gremolata provides a nice contrast to the sweetness of the produce that is brought out in the grilling process.

Switch up the veggies as desired to use up what you have on hand!

Serves 2 (2 stacks each)

Ingredients:
Gremolata
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. grated lemon zest

Vegetables
Grill rub (see below)
1/2 of a medium-sized eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 portobello caps, stems removed
1 yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 tomato, cut into thick slices
Shaved Parmesan (optional). Obviously, it won't be vegan if you add this.

Grill Rub (this will make about 3/4 cup of rub. It will keep in the fridge if stored in an airtight container).
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/8 cup paprika
3 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. sea salt or kosher salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Method:
1. Prepare the gremolata. Pulse the parsley, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and zest in a food processor. Chill while preparing the veggies.

2. Heat grill to high heat (see tip below). Coat grate with vegetable oil.

3. Sprinkle the veggies with the grill rub (I only used the rub on one side of each piece). Place the eggplant and the portobello cap on the grill first and cook 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and squash and cook 2 minutes more. Turn veggies 45 degrees and cook 2 minutes more. Flip and cook another 2 minutes and then turn them 45 degrees and cook an additional 2 minutes. (If you're not bothered about fancy grill marks, cook 'em for 4 minutes on one side and 4 on the other).
Add the tomato during the last few minutes so it doesn't just complete disintegrate. :)

4. Layer them however you like. Here's how I stacked mine:
1 piece of eggplant on the bottom
Half of the portobello cap
Zucchini slices
Squash slices
Tomato
Eggplant on top
Drizzle the gremolata over the top of each stack and then add a couple pieces of shaved Parmesan if desired.

Tip:
Here's a handy guide for figuring out how hot the grill is!
Hold your hand 4 inches above the grill grate and count until your palm feels hot.
*2-3 seconds = high heat
*4-5 seconds = medium-high
*6-8 seconds = medium
*9-10 seconds = medium-low

Reference:
This is based on Summer Vegetable Stacks with Gremolata and Classic BBQ Rub from the July/August 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine. I also found that grill temperature guide in this issue.

My changes:
Grill rub - I didn't have celery seed so I subbed coriander (same amount).
Veggie stacks - I used a portobello mushroom in place of tofu (original called for 1 16-oz. package of extra-firm tofu per 4 servings). I also added zucchini and tomato. The original recipe didn't use the grill rub, I just thought that would be good on the veggies.

The June Gloom Cure-All

2009-06-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here in San Diego we often have overcast skies (caused by the marine layer) during the late spring/early summer. In May, we call it "May Gray." In June, it becomes "June Gloom." Yes, living in paradise is awful! How do we manage to live through this for 2 whole months? ;)
These muffins just might be the magic elixir that takes away all the dreary yuckiness that comes with living by the coast!
No matter the weather, these sunny muffins are sure to brighten anyone's day.

Note: I used cow's milk and dairy yogurt to make these but they are extremely easy to convert back to a vegan baking recipe since they are already egg-free. Just sub non-dairy yogurt and milk.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (they are vegan if you use non-dairy yogurt)
1/2 cup fat-free milk (again, vegan if you choose a plain or vanilla non-dairy milk)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (omit if you use vanilla yogurt)
1 tbsp. ground flaxseed (a coffee bean grinder is a great tool for grinding these)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, squeeze out and reserve all the juice (do not use fresh pineapple, it will interfere with the leavening process)
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1 generous tsp. grated orange zest (from 1 large orange)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with unbleached paper liners.

1. Whisk the yogurt, milk, vanilla if using, and ground flaxseed together in a large bowl.

2. Squeeze the pineapple really well to ensure that you've removed all the juice. Add the pineapple pieces to the bowl along with the reserved juice, carrot, orange zest, raisins, cranberries, and coconut. Whisk thoroughly.

3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk just enough to moisten all the dry ingredients but do not over-mix.

4. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin and then bake for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Reference:
Carrot-Pineapple Sunshine Muffins from Veganomicon.

My changes:
I subbed 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup cranberries for the 1/2 cup raisins called for in the original recipe.
I added 1/4 cup shredded coconut.
I added 1 tsp. vanilla extract since I used plain yogurt.
Changes to try in the future: Use half whole-wheat flour, half all-purpose. Add in some cardamom/sub it for the cinnamon. Sub fresh grated ginger for ground ginger. Actually make them vegan with almond milk and non-dairy yogurt. Try them with golden raisins/try mixing it up with other dried fruits.

Note:
These do not rise much (in fact, they're pretty flat!)
Feel free to fill those muffin cups full of batter (the batter, by the way, tastes great!)

Wild Rice Salad

2009-06-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

I had this with that fabulous carrot-ginger soup! Yum! :)

Serves 6

Ingredients:
8 cups water
12 ounces wild rice (or a wild rice blend)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
6 green onions, sliced
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup raspberry vinaigrette dressing

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing (Makes about 3 cups)
1 pint (2 cups) raspberries (you can use frozen, just defrost before using)
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar

Method:
1. To prepare the dressing, Puree the raspberries, green onions, and mustard in a food processor or blender until smooth. While the machine is running, pour in the olive oil and puree for about 30 seconds. Add the vinegar and combine well. Store in the refrigerator.

2. Cook the rice according to package directions or until tender (I bought mine bulk/had no directions! Since it was a blend, it only took about 30 minutes. Wild rice will usually take 50-60 minutes to cook). Drain any excess water and set aside to cool.

3. Transfer the cooled rice to a mixing bowl. Add the cranberries, pecans, parsley, green onions, tomatoes, and dressing. Toss to combine.

Reference:
Wild Rice with Pecans and Cranberries from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

Carrot-Ginger Soup

2009-06-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this and actually thought I might not like it. I was proven wrong and now I can't wait to make it again! I'd like to try it chilled next time.

The mild carrots are really set off by the spicy ginger!

An immersion blender is a great tool for pureeing just a small amount of this soup if you divide the recipe.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. canola oil
4 medium onions, sliced
1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
8 large carrots, peeled and roughly cut into evenly sized pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, if desired

Method:
1. Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the chopped ginger and saute an additional 2 minutes.

2. Increase the heat to medium an add the broth and carrots. Simmer until the carrots are tender. Season to taste. Puree.

Reference:
From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

I didn't make any changes to this but there is a note at the bottom of the recipe saying "Reduce the vegetable broth by half and replace the remaining half with orange juice, apple juice, ginger ale, or sparkling cider." Definitely something to think about for next time!
I might also add some crushed pineapple to a chilled version.

Best Egg Salad I've Ever Tasted!

2009-06-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

Seriously, it really is the best-tasting egg salad I've had. If you'd like, you can make it the way the Moosewood book suggested and leave out most of the yolk. That way it has much less fat and cholesterol than a regular egg salad.

Makes 2 sandwiches
This is also great on crackers or on top of a bed of lettuce. I'd love to try it stuffed into an avocado or tomato.

Ingredients:
2 eggs, hard-boiled, cooled, and then diced
1/2 stalk of celery, diced
1/8 of a red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 tbsp. sweet or dill pickle, minced
1 tsp. capers, drained
1/8 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 tbsp. fresh dill, minced (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tbsp. fat-free plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper to taste, if desired
Bread or rolls
Lettuce, tomato, sliced green onion, additional Dijon mustard as sandwich garnishes

Method:
1. Stir together chopped eggs, celery, capers, bell pepper, pickle, onion, dill, yogurt, horseradish, and mustard.

2. Serve as a sandwich on bread/rolls or as a salad.

Reference:
Based on the Egg Salad recipe from the Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites cookbook.

My changes:
I used yogurt in place of mayonnaise. I thought about making my own mayo but just couldn't be bothered... heh :) Least I'm honest!
I added the capers. I also used sweet pickle in place of dill pickle.

Waldorf Salad with Bulgar

2009-06-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

The flavours in this salad will excite each and every one of your taste buds! There is really a lot going on from the sweet apples and nutty bulgar to the tart lemon juice and peppery parsley.

I served this along side an egg salad sandwich. Made for a great lunch!

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup bulgar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 medium-sized apple, cored and diced (leave the skin on)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method:
1. Prepare the bulgar first. Place the grains plus 1 cup of boiling water into a heat-proof bowl. Cover and let the bulgar sit for 20-30 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Set aside to cool.

2. Once cooled, transfer the bulgar to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss everything well and serve.

Reference:
Based on Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

My changes:
I used bulgar (cracked wheat) in place of wheat berries.
I added the strawberries and used a mixture of cranberries and raisins in place of just raisins.
I subbed white wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar and used sparkling cider in place of apple juice (slightly out of desperation ;)

Samosa Stuffed Jacket Potatoes

2009-06-26T13:34:00.001-07:00

Proof that potatoes do not need to be slathered in loads of butter, cheese, and sour cream to taste good! (Not that I don't enjoy the occasional butter-, cheese-, and sour cream-slathered potato but I usually prefer less artery-clogging food).

These were lovely! I made them as twice-baked potatoes but the original recipe called for making them as potato skin-style appetizers (yes, now I'm thinking I need to plan a Bollywood movie night so I can make these yummy things as part of the menu!)
As I made them, they make a great meal on their own or with a salad (I should have planned better and bought stuff to make a chutney for them...) or make them as potato skins and have them as a starter for a curry dish.

Excuse the crappy photo... hubby left for Texas this morning and took my camera leaving me to take this with my phone. The finished potato was really pretty; this does not do it justice.

I bet you could make these the night before, wrap them up and keep them refrigerated, and then just heat up for lunch the next day.

Makes 2 twice-baked potatoes or 4 potato skin appetizers

Ingredients:
2 Russet potatoes, scrubbed, baked, and cooled
1/8 cup non-dairy milk, veggie broth, or water (I used broth)
A little non-dairy, non-hydrogenated margarine (1/2-1 tsp.)
1 1/2 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 cup carrots, cut into small dice or shredded
1/2 cup onion, cut into small dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup frozen peas (leave them frozen)
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Extra canola oil for brushing the skins
Cilantro and/or green onions as a garnish (completely forgot I was going to add those until now)

Method:
1. If you are making twice-baked potatoes, slice off the top of the potato leaving three sides intact. Scoop out the potato flesh and place it in a bowl. Be careful not to break the skins. Set the skins aside.
If you are making potato skins, slice the potatoes in half and then scoop out the filling. Again, be careful not the break the skins. Set the skins aside.

2. Mash the potato filling with the milk, water, or veggie broth and margarine until it's the consistency of mashed potatoes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute until the onions are lightly browned and both veggies are soft (7-10 minutes).

4. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another minute. Add the mustard, coriander, cumin, curry powder, turmeric, and salt along with a little splash of water. You can add more water if it looks too dry. Stir well.

5. Add the onion-carrot mixture to the mashed potato filling and mix well. At this point, I poured a little water into the skillet to pick up more of the spice mixture. I added the frozen peas to the skillet/water and gave them a quick stir. Drain the peas and then add them to the potato mixture. Add the lemon juice and stir to incorporate all the ingredients.

6. Brush the outside of the skins with a little extra canola oil and then scoop the potato mixture into each skin. Press gently so you have the entire potato shell filled.

7. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and sliced green onions if desired.

Note:
If you're going to eat the skins, try to find organic potatoes. Potatoes are on the "dirty dozen" list of items with high concentrations of pesticides.

Reference:
Based on Samosa Stuffed Potatoes from Veganomicon.
I made several changes:
*As mentioned above, I made mine as twice-baked potatoes.
*I added the margarine and curry powder.
*The original called for peanut oil. I just used canola.
*Original recipe called for yellow mustard seeds and coriander seeds and to add these to the skillet prior to adding the onion and carrot. I just used ground mustard and ground coriander and added them with the other spices.
*The original said to add the potato filling into the skillet and heat it through. I skipped this and just added the stuff from the skillet into the potato filling in a bowl. I also decided to throw a little water into the empty skillet and swish the peas around in that to try to get a little more of the spices.

Chocolate-Raspberry Cookies

2009-06-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

So chewy! So chocolatey! So free of rubbish you shouldn't be eating! All this and vegan, too!

These are really fantastic cookies. I can't wait to make them again with different flavours of spreadable fruit (cherry, apricot, orange marmalade with Grand Marnier or Cointreau... whatever!)
I may even add some chocolate chips or chopped nuts next time but, really, they wouldn't need them.

I didn't take a photo since my camera just landed in Texas but these cookies look remarkably like these ones: Double-Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1 cup unrefined sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. pure almond extract (or amaretto)
1/4-1/2 tsp. Chambord (optional)
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the raspberry preserves, sugar, canola oil, vanilla, almond extract or amaretto, and Chambord.

2. In a separate mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three batches, mixing well with each addition. You may need to use your hands to kneed the dough with the last addition.

3. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and then flatten them with your hands into discs. Place them on a prepared cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. They don't spread so don't worry about placing them far apart on the sheet.

4. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the sheet and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool them completely.

Reference:
Chewy Chocolate-Raspberry Cookies from Veganomicon.
The only change I really made was to add Chambord and a little amaretto when I ran out of almond extract (!) :)
I can't wait to try different flavours of these cookies!

Banana and Black Bean Empanadas

2009-06-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Bored with banana bread? Want a new way to use up those ripe bananas? Then you have to try these!

I actually made these a while ago and never got around to blogging them. They were just so fantastic, I can't leave them out! :)
I had this version of the Argentinean pastry as a meal with rice and a big salad but they would make great appetizers.

Note: The crust needs to be refrigerated for at least one hour (up to overnight) so plan ahead for that.

Makes 12 empanadas (6 servings)

Ingredients:
Crust
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
4 tbsp. non-dairy, non-hydrogenated margarine cut into small cubes (Earth Balance)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (Make your own if you have time!)
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

Filling
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup cooked black beans
1 clove garlic, smushed or finely diced
1 cup peeled, diced bananas (the riper, the better!)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. hot sauce

Method:
1. As mentioned above, you'll need to make the crust in advance. Here's how:
*Sift flowers, salt, and chili powder together in a bowl. Use your fingers to mix in the margarine like you would if you were making a pie crust.
*Whisk the applesauce, vinegar, and 1/3 cup cold water in a separate bowl.
*Add the applesauce mixture to the flour until a dough forms. You can add up to 1/4 cup more cold water if needed.
*Knead the dough on a floured surface. Form a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, chill.

2. While the dough chills, work on the filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion in the oil for 4-5 minutes (until soft). Add the black beans and garlic and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the bean mixture for 3 minutes.

3. Add the bananas, cumin, cayenne, and coriander to the bean mixture and cook for 2 minutes or until the bananas just begin to break down (this smells amazing!) Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and hot sauce.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, prepare a cookie sheet by spraying it with cooking spray, and lightly flour your work surface. Divide the dough into 12 balls and roll out each ball into a 6-inch round (about 1/4-inch thick).

5. Fill each dough round with a couple tablespoons of the filling and brush the edges with water. Fold the dough in half to make a semi-circle and press to close the edges. Use a fork to crimp the edges/seal the empanadas.

6. Place the assembled pastries on the cookie sheet and chill for 10 minutes. Once chilled, bake them for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

Reference:
From the March 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.
I honestly didn't change anything from the original recipe... (except the cooking temp. - original called for 400).
I may try adding some chopped avocado next time or maybe even adding a little cocoa powder to do some sort of mole-esque thing. Watch this space! I love to experiment! ;)

Been a while...

2009-06-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

My schedule went a bit nuts (and to be quite honest, I got a bit burned out on the blogging) so I quit for a while. Now that I'm on summer break (and have a bit more time on my hands), I can blog again. :)

I'm pretty excited about this week's menu so hopefully I'll have plenty to write about in the next week or so.

June 26-July 2
Friday: Samosa-Stuffed Potato (lunch). Summer veggie stacks with salad and quinoa for dinner.

Saturday: I have a CPR/first aid class all day so I have no idea what I'll be eating...

Sunday: Spicy chickpea patties and salad for lunch. Carrot-ginger soup with a wild rice, walnut, and cranberry salad for dinner.

Monday: Tropical gazpacho for lunch. Quinoa, black bean, and citrus salad for dinner.

Tuesday: Egg salad sandwich with a Waldorf salad (supposed to be with wheat berries but I'll sub in barley or something). Vegetarian (actually may be vegan) French onion and a salad for dinner (maybe leftover Waldorf!)

Wednesday: Farm stand veggie skewers with homemade buttermilk biscuits and veggie couscous.

Thursday: Tomato-bulgar soup and (I'm going to give polenta one more shot!) savoury tomato-pesto polenta.

I'm also planning on making chocolate-raspberry cookies and carrot-pineapple muffins.

As usual, the order may change around a bit... :)

Chickpea Burgers with Two Relishes

2009-03-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

Is "relishes" really even a word..? lol :)

I actually made this a couple weeks ago and then my schedule went nuts and I've had no time for blogging!
It's a good thing; I've been going to lots of tai chi classes and I also found a netball club here to play with. Nice to be back on the court even though I am really rusty. That's what I'd be doing right now if my bio bomb students at work hadn't given me this cold... boo :(

These little chickpea numbers were so tasty! I can't wait to make them again. I think next time, I'd like to try them with black beans. Yum!
I served these with lavender-rosemary roasted potatoes in place of fries.

This would be enough for 2 (1 patty each)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup dry chickpeas (use canned it you prefer)
1 egg white
1 tbsp. sour cream
1/8 cup onion, diced
1 small garlic clove, minced
Small amount of lemon juice (about 1/4 lemon worth)
1/8 cup panko
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano (dried)
1/4 cup freshly-shredded pepper-jack cheese, divided (1/8 per patty)
1/2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Relishes:
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped (divided so you have 1/2 tomato in each of two bowls)
2-3 Kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 avocado, diced
Juice of 1/4 lime (or use some of that lemon from above)
Chopped fresh cilantro (1-2 tbsp.)
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Method:
1. If you use dried beans, you'll need to start by soaking these. I prefer to quick-soak mine. Bring them to a boil in enough water to cover them by 3-4 inches. Once they are boiling, immediately remove them from the heat and let them sit, covered, for 1 hour. Drain, rinse, and cook as usual.

2. I decided to make the relishes first to allow the flavours time to meld together. I made two different ones - an olive-tomato relish as well as an avocado pico relish. Both were fantastic!
To make the avocado pico:
*Mix the tomato (1/2 tomato), lime (or lemon) juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Allow this to sit in the fridge for 1 hour.
To make the olive-tomato relish:
*Mix the other 1/2 tomato, olives, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt/pepper to taste in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Make the patties! Put the chickpeas, egg white, sour cream, onion, garlic, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well-combined (it should be chunky). Add the salt, pepper, cilantro, and cumin and pulse until combined. Transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the panko and cheese.

4. Form portions of the mixture into two 1-inch thick patties. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook for 6-8 minutes per side or until golden. Flip once during cooking.
Serve with the relishes and, if desired, avocado slices (I just can't get enough avocado!)

Reference:
I found this recipe on the Savory Safari blog; the author of that blog was inspired by a recipe for veggie burgers at 101 Cookbooks.

My changes:
*I used pepper-jack in place of cotija cheese. I also grated my cheese as opposed to slicing it and then mixed it in with the bean mixture rather than placing the slices in between two halves of each patty.
*I added the cilantro, cumin, and oregano.
*I used sour cream in place of mayonnaise.
*I added a relish :) The avocado-pico was my idea. I thought it would work well with the flavours in the patties.

Menu - February 15-

2009-02-14T08:15:00.000-08:00

Sunday - Bow-tie pasta with kasha and veggies.

Monday - Balsamic lentils with beans and mushrooms. Based on this recipe; I'm using beans and mushrooms in place of the sausage.

Tuesday - Cheese-stuffed chickpea burgers with lavender-rosemary potatoes. Chickpea burgers will be based on this recipe but I'm using pepper-jack cheese since we already have that in the fridge!

Wednesday - Three-cheese penne florentine (made with either homemade cream of broccoli or homemade cream of spinach). Based on this recipe.

Thursday - Pineapple-Peanut Stew.

Friday - Pasta alla puttanesca.

Saturday - Cumin lentil soup with a side of quinoa fritters.

Lots of pasta ;)

Ancient Grains with Veggies Pilaf

2009-02-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

This was really tasty but a bit of a pain to make... probably due to the fact that you have to cook each grain separately and I only own two saucepans. LOL.. I used to have a bunch but purged all the old crappy Teflon ones so now I'm down to two non-huge stainless steel ones. Plus, I needed one for DH's dinner.. The time it takes is worth it just for the amazing amount of protein in this dish!
At least I know for next time to make them all in advance!

You could really use any combination of grains and veggies that you have on hand. Rice would also work. In fact, the original version of this recipe called for brown rice; I chose to use quinoa instead in an attempt to cut back on cooking time.

The pilaf is really filling so I'd say this amount would feed 2; 4 as a side-dish.

**Note: Soak the spelt for at least 6 hours prior to cooking.**

Ingredients:
1/8 cup whole spelt grain
1/2 cup water

1/8 cup bulgur
3/4 cup water

1/8 cup quinoa
1/4 cup water

1/6 cup couscous
1/4 cup water

1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/8 cup carrots, finely diced
1/8 cup sweet potato, finely diced
1/8 cup parsnip, finely diced
1/8 cup mushroom, diced (I used portobello; any mushroom would work)
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/8 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh ginger (as much as you like; I think I used 1/2 tbsp.)

Method:
1. Start with the spelt. Drain the soaked spelt then add it to 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until it is cooked through. Spelt will not get too soft/it remains quite firm.

2. Cook the bulgur by bringing 3/4 cup of water to a boil. Add the bulgur grains and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Cook the quinoa by boiling 1/4 cup water. Add the quinoa grains and then lower the heat and cover. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the white "germ" is visible.

4. Cook the couscous. Bring 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add in the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let the pan sit for 5 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

After each grain is cooked, set it aside while the other grains and the veggies cook (you can combine them in one bowl).

5. Heat 1-2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, carrot, parsnip, mushroom, celery, and sweet potato until tender. Add the grains then add the soy sauce, green onion, ginger, and parsley. Cook and stir until everything is warmed through.

Reference:
This is based on the recipe "Ancient Grain Pilaf" from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.
My Changes:
I added the parsnip, sweet potato, ginger, and mushroom. I used green onions in place of scallions and used quinoa in place of brown rice.

Iron, Lion, Zion

2009-02-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

This is an amazing source of iron (hence the Bob Marley rip-off post title!)
It was Marley's birthday on February 6th so we can think of this as a belated memorial meal or something. lol

The iron sources in this meal include the spinach, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the walnuts. OK, so the walnuts aren't a great source but they do have some! Besides, they have many other benefits ;) Plus, the vitamin C in the spinach, tomatoes, and lime juice helps with the absorption of the iron.

The cookbook I got this from said something along the lines of "Kids love this dish!" Um, yeah, maybe little hippy kids who actually eat spinach... how many of those do you know? Well, if you read my blog, you may know more than I am giving you credit for. ;)
If you can't convince your kids that spinach really is tasty, you can substitute in broccoli. That is, if you can convince your kids that broccoli is tasty! :)
I'm sure they were talking about the cute little pasta stars... I'm sure ALL kids love those! Heck, I'm 31 and I love cute little pasta shapes!
Oh! While I'm on shaped pasta... I saw this boxed mac and cheese (Annie's) the other day and the pasta was in the shape of peace signs. Had me written all over it! :)
See, I even took a photo of the dry pasta stars... 31 going on 5...

Serves 2 (could serve 4 as a side dish)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup dry stellini pasta (that's the tiny stars; you can sub in the alphabet letters if you can't find stars)
1-2 tbsp. of olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1-2 large cloves of garlic (I used one huge one but I love garlic more than is considered normal so I'll add two next time)
1 portobello mushroom cap, sliced
2 cups spinach, washed, dried, and chopped up
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped up
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp. lime juice (or lemon juice)
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning (salt-free if you can find it)

Method:
1. Grill or broil the mushroom slices until tender. While the mushrooms are grilling, cook the pasta according to the package directions (about 8 minutes). Drain, toss with the lime juice and set aside. Let the mushrooms cool slightly and then dice them up.

2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over low heat. Add the onion and then the garlic and let it cook very slowly so the garlic doesn't burn. Stir often! Once the garlic and onion are golden-brown, add the spinach and raise the heat to medium.

2. Cook until the spinach is wilted (1 minute or so). Stir in the pasta and mushroom pieces and cook until the mixture is warmed through. Toss in the lemon pepper seasoning, walnuts, and sun-dried tomatoes. Add additional lime juice as desired.

Serve immediately.

Reference:
This is based on the recipe Garlic Spinach Stellini Pasta from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.
My changes:
I added in onion, the portobello mushroom, the walnuts, and the sun-dried tomatoes.

Thanks to the British Vegetarian Society for the information on iron.
Information Sheet - Iron
Information Sheet - Nuts and Seeds

Mushroom-Bean Stew with Garlic Crumb Topping

2009-02-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

This smelled so wonderful while it was cooking (even M mentioned how good it smelled more than once) that I made a comment along the lines of "I hope this tastes half as amazing as it smells!" Oh, did it ever! :)

This is a great treat to use up half a can of beans and whatever veggies you have hanging around the kitchen. It started out as a rather plain recipe but I gave it the G treatment and it turned into something quite spectacular!
It's full of protein, iron, complex carbs, and fibre while still being very low in fat and cholesterol (zero cholesterol if you leave out the cheese).

It's vegan if you don't cheat like I did and add a smidgen of Parmesan to the crumbs...
I'd bet money that herbivores and omnivores alike would really enjoy this so it's a great one to serve for company (and it's just so pretty and colorful - who wouldn't love it?!)

I'm saving the best for last here - this goes together in less than 45 minutes (including chopping!) Yeay!
Great for a quickie weeknight dinner.

Serves 2 (easy to double or triple if needed)

Ingredients:
1-1/2 tsp. olive oil, divided
5-6 button mushrooms, quartered
Approx. 1 cup green onions, sliced
1/8 cup red onion, diced
1-1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 can (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed (or whatever beans you have)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 tomato, chopped (I included the seeds)
1 large garlic clove, minced (for the stew)
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 tsp. dried culinary lavender, crushed
1/4 tsp. dried fennel, crushed
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
Small amount of panko breadcrumbs (1/4-1/2 cup or so)
1 small garlic clove, minced (for the crumbly topping)
1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Optional: 1-2 tbsp. freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
1. Heat 3/4 tsp. of the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Stir in the mushrooms, green onions, red onion, and Italian seasoning and cook for 10 minutes or until softened.

2. Stir the beans, large garlic clove, tomato, broth, tarragon, lavender, and fennel. Cook until heated through and thickened. Stir in the salt and pepper.
Yum! There it is sans crumbs/before it got really thick:

3. While the stew cooks/thickens, prepare the crumb topping. Heat the remaining 3/4 tsp. oil in a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the panko for 6-8 minutes or until it is crispy and golden. Add the small garlic clove during the last couple of minutes so you get the garlic flavour without getting a burned-garlic flavour.
They should look like this (mine really weren't that washed out.. I have the oh-so-lovely fluorescent lighting in my kitchen to thank for that!):

4. Add the fresh parsley to the bean mixture and then sprinkle the crumbs on top of the stew.
Optional: If you choose to add Parm to the crumbs, transfer the crumbs from the skillet to a small bowl and let them cool off for a couple of minutes. Grate the Parm into the bowl and mix to combine.

Reference:
I based this on the recipe "Golden Crumb-Topped Mushroom-Bean Stew" from the February/March 2009 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine.

How I made it my own:
*I used black beans instead of Great Northern beans (had half a can of black beans open on top of having a bad case of Monday Brain and forgetting to soak my dried Navy beans that I was originally going to use in place of the GN beans... Despite all that, I thought the black beans were wonderful in it!)
*I used green onions in place of leeks. I just can't do leeks... I'm sure I've told this story but my mom used to make this potato-leek soup every year on Ash Wednesday. Nasty... tasted like ash! Sad that I claim to be this open-minded liberal yet I just refuse to give leeks a second chance! lol ;) And like green onions are really any different! Please..!
*I added onion (much as I hate leeks, I just can't have enough of all their other allium cousins!)
*I used panko in place of a slice of bread
*I added garlic to the panko
*Added the tomato
*I also added lavender, fennel, and tarragon
*Almost forgot... I'm still out of wine and veggie broth! I did find some "Reduced-Sodium (organic!) Vegetable Bouillon" so I cut a chunk off a cube of that and dissolved it to make "veggie broth"

Menu - February 8-14

2009-02-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

Here's the menu for this week... a couple days late but that's sort of normal for me (if I post one at all!)

Sunday - DH had oven-fried chicken; I had stuffed tomatoes with quinoa, black beans, and corn

Monday - DH had Cajun-spiced pork chops; I had Crumb-Topped Mushroom-Bean stew (post coming soon - it was fabulous!)

Tuesday - Lentil-Cauliflower Curry for me; salmon with Jack Daniels BBQ sauce (homemade) for DH.

Wednesday - I have a really crazy evening with a meeting until 6 and then tai chi class at 7:15 so I'll just heat up split pea and lentil soup for myself (homemade/in the freezer) and will throw together a burger with blue cheese for M.

Thursday - Beef burrito for DH; I'm having Garlic-Spinach Stellini pasta (Whole Foods cookbook recipe) with sun-dried tomatoes and portobello mushroom thrown in.

Friday - Ancient Grain Pilaf for me (provided I can find spelt...); Cheese-stuffed chicken for DH

Saturday - I boycott Valentine's Day but I still love my hubby so I'm grilling a steak for him :) I'll have pineapple-cashew quinoa stir-fry.
I'm also making brownies with some cute little Valentine's Day sprinkly things I found... (this set of sprinklies has lip-shaped ones! How fun is that? I'll have to post pictures!)
OK, so I'm just not that much of a heartless, Hallmark Holiday-hating hard-ass! ;) I just figure that if my husband doesn't know by now how I feel about him, a card and a box of chocolates isn't going to convince him!

Fruity Nutty Brussels Sprouts

2009-02-10T12:01:00.000-08:00

I highly recommend these to anyone who is a bit sketchy about Brussels sprouts but is still interested in trying them :)

I used hard apple cider in these on a bit of a whim... I was going to do my usual 1/2 wine-1/2 veggie broth dealy but realized at the last moment that I was out of white wine and vegetable broth! Wow.. not sure how that happened.. those are a staple in my house like cereal would be in a normal person's house! heh.. The apple cider was lovely but I think it made these just a tad too sweet. Next time, I'll try it with half cider-half broth and see how that works out.

These would make a wonderful addition to a Christmas dinner table since the colours were all so festive. They are lovely any time Brussels are in season, though :)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 apple, cubed, skins left on (I used a honeycrisp but you can use whatever you have. I'd like to try this with something on the less-sweet side like a Granny Smith)
Lemon juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
10-12 Brussels sprouts (I really didn't count; just trying to come up with some sort of measurement!); cleaned and cut in half (quartered if you have huge ones)
1/6 cup hard apple cider (or 1/12 cup [good luck measuring that!] cider and 1/12 cup veggie broth)
1/8 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup walnuts, chopped

Method:
1. Chop up the apples and then toss them with the lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and apples along with salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the cider/apple juice/wine/broth and cook for about 10 minutes or until the sprouts become tender (stir occasionally).

3. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts. Cook until warmed through and then serve immediately.

Reference:
Based on the recipe North Georgia Brussels Sprouts that I found on Georgia Peach's blog, Vintage Victuals.
My changes:
*Left out the bacon
*Used hard cider in place of apple juice
*Added cranberries and walnuts

Be Grateful for Ice Cream ;)

2009-02-04T06:12:00.000-08:00

I am one of the world's biggest Cherry Garcia fans so I've been really wanting to try to make it at home (hubby got me the Ben and Jerry's ice cream recipe book for my birthday last year).

The ice cream is really yummy but I don't think it tastes anything like Cherry Garcia! lol :)
I do have some ideas about that so I'll have to try it again soon. First, I used dried cherries since fresh ones aren't available and when I think of canned cherries, I think of that gooey (not in a good way) cherry pie filling. Yikes! I will try it again with fresh once those are in season. Also, one of my friends suggested using some cherry brandy either in the ice cream base or just poured on top. Will have to try that one, too. :)
This version is more Coldstone than Cherry Garcia. It's a great sweet base with cherries and chocolate chunks mixed in!

Makes 1 Grateful Quart (yes, I ripped that off from the Ben & Jerry's book..)

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks (I just chopped chunks off a bar of chocolate)
1/4 cup cherries, chopped (I used dried but will use fresh next time)

Method:
1. Whisk the eggs and sugar in the bowl of the KA mixer using the wire whisk attachment. Turn the mixer to speed 2 and let it run for about 30 seconds or until the eggs and sugar are slightly thickened.

2. Keep the mixer running at speed 2 while you add in the heavy cream and milk. Let it run until it's all well-mixed.

3. Pour the egg-sugar-milk-cream mixture into a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom. Cook over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the mixture and you can see steam rising from the liquid. Do not let it boil! Transfer this mixture into a glass bowl then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

4. Once the base has thoroughly chilled, attach the frozen ice cream attachment bowl to the KA mixer (make sure it has had at least 15 hours in the freezer). Turn the mixer to speed 1 (STIR). While the dasher is spinning, carefully pour the ice cream base into the ice cream freezer bowl (it's best to use a measuring jug for this part). Let the mixture stir for 15-20 minutes. Add in the chocolate chunks and cherries during the last 2 minutes of stir time.

5. Transfer the ice cream to freezer-safe containers and allow to freeze to desired consistency.

Have a grateful day ;)

References:
Based on the Cherry Garcia recipe from Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield with Nancy J. Stevens.
I used the French Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from the little book that came with my KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment but just to figure out the cooking times (I'm really sketchy about raw egg [why do you think I love vegan baking so much?!] and the B&J book didn't cook their base).

Root Vegetable Enchiladas (with Mole!)

2009-02-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

I really need to learn how to make the “e” at the end of mole have an accent mark over the top of it because every time I type mole without it, it looks like I'm talking about eating sauce made of small animals who don't see very well! Um, no... DH loves enchiladas so I’m always looking for new and exciting vegetarian versions of this yummy treat. I really enjoyed these ones with roasted vegetables. The combination of the sweet veggies and the chocolate in the mole sauce along with the peppers was amazing! I know not everyone goes for that sweet-spicy combination but if you’re like me, you have to give these a try!

I do have to work on the cashew cream, though.. I think it needed more water! In my defense, it was my first time using nutritional yeast so maybe that’s the part that needs work! I would have tried a second batch since I really wanted to drizzle some over the top of the mole sauce but I just ran out of time… it’s hard when I’m trying to focus on a brand-new recipe while making chicken enchiladas for DH (just leave a comment if you ever want the chicken enchilada recipe – I have it saved and would be happy to share it. M always raves about it!) Next time, I’ll make the cashew cream first and just store it in the fridge. That should give me extra time to make more if needed.

On to the recipe! : )

Makes 2 very generous servings (4 enchiladas/2 each) You could almost get away with doing 1 enchilada per person and serving it with some seasoned rice, black beans, and/or salad (or some combination of those three sides). When I do enchiladas we have enchiladas and that’s it! They are just so filling!

Oh, before I go on… enchiladas freeze really well! Make a bunch; they are great to have on-hand and just pull out and re-heat when you need a quickie dinner.

Ingredients:
Jalapeno-Cashew Cream
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1-1/2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (see if you can find it in the bulk aisle - tubs of it are a bit spendy!)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Method: 1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse on the "puree" setting until smooth.

Mole Sauce
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic, minced (I actually think I just used 5 cloves)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

Method:
Heat 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.

2. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon to the hot oil. Cover and cook until onion is almost tender (about 10 minutes). Stir occasionally during the cooking process.

3. Mix in the chili powder and flour. Stir three minutes.

4. Gradually mix in the broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Boil until reduced (it took mine about 15 or 16 minutes). Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate.

Enchilada Filling
Ingredients:
1/3 to 1/2 cup each sweet potato, red potatoes, and parsnip (peel the parsnip and sweet potato), diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe jalapeno cashew cream (above)
Flour tortillas
1 recipe mole sauce (above)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

1. Toss the vegetables, cumin, onion, olive oil, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Spread the veggie mixture onto the cookie sheet and roast 45-50 minutes or until they are soft and lightly browned, stirring once or twice during the roasting time. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.

**Make the mole sauce while the vegetables roast.**

2. Remove the vegetables from the oven and let them cool a little. Once cooled, toss them in a large bowl with 1/2 cup of the jalapeno cashew cream. Scoop the vegetable filling into the tortillas and roll each one into an enchilada.

3. Pour a little mole sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Place each enchilada on top of the mole. Cover the enchiladas with additional mole sauce. If desired, use the remaining cashew cream to drizzle over the mole-covered enchiladas.

4. Bake the enchiladas, uncovered, for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Reference: The jalapeno cashew cream and the enchilada filling recipes are based on "Roasted Root Vegetable Enchiladas" and "Chipotle Cashew Cream" from the Nov/Dec 2008 issue of VegNews magazine.
Changes for the enchilada filling included adding in the red potatoes and using the mole sauce in place of red or green enchilada sauce. I was going to add some corn, too, but completely forgot! Oh well... next time :)
The only change I made to the cashew cream was to use a regular un-roasted jalapeno in place of the chipotle pepper.
The mole sauce recipe is from Recipezaar. I just change it by adding a little extra chocolate and using veggie broth in place of chicken broth.

Home-Made Enchilada Sauce

2009-02-03T06:24:00.000-08:00

This is the sauce I make for DH’s enchiladas (and for mine when I don’t feel like making two different sauces!) It’s far better than the stuff you get in cans from the grocery store and really doesn’t take a lot of time or effort. You will need either an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor to make this, though.

The sauce itself is vegan so, even though I throw it on DH's chicken enchiladas, it's great to use with any veggie enchiladas, too.

Enough for 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1 (28-oz) can tomatoes, diced (make sure to add the juice, too!)
1 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. sea salt

Method:
1. Saute the onions over medium heat until they are softened. Add all the other ingredients and let the mixture come to a simmer then remove the pan from the heat.

2. Let the sauce cool for a little while then puree in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender.

Reference:
Based on the "Enchilada Chile Sauce" that is part of the recipe "Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce" from Veganomicon.
My Changes:
*I use jalapenos for the "large green chiles." Mine are not roasted.
*I use both marjoram and Mexican oregano instead of one of the other.
That's it, really.. not a whole lot to change in that recipe. :)

Hot and Sweet Ginger-Orange Tofu

2009-02-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big tofu eater (it's just so processed which is always a turn-off) but this will be a recipe to remember when I have some to use up! While I was enjoying eating this, DH said "that smells flavourful." It really was! Plenty of sweet from the maple-orange-ginger glaze with a great spiciness from the red pepper. Yum!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 block of extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into two halves (apparently firm tofu works, too, if that's what you've got!)
1/6 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1/6 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
1/6 cup pure maple syrup
Pinch crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tbsp. orange zest
1-1/2 - 2 tsp. canola oil, divided
3/4 cup onion, sliced
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

Method:
1. Prepare the tofu by letting it drain, covered in paper towels, for 10-15 minutes. Once drained, cut it up into small cubes (about 3/4-inch in size).

2. Mix together the orange juice, lime juice, maple syrup, red pepper, garlic, ginger, and orange zest.

3. Heat 1 tsp. of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the tofu cubes and stir-fry them until golden. They should look like this:

4. Remove the tofu cubes from the pan and set them aside. Add the onions and the remaining oil to the skillet. Saute about 5 minutes or until the onion is slightly golden and softened. Return the tofu to the pan along with the orange-ginger sauce, cilantro, and soy sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce reduces and thickens.

This is delicious served over rice. You can also sprinkle some additional fresh cilantro over the finished product, if desired.

Reference:
This is based on the recipe "Fiery Tofu with Red Chiles, Orange, and Ginger" from the February 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times.

I didn't change much... I used firm tofu instead of the extra-firm that was called for. I was worried it would fall apart but it really held its shape.
I also subbed in crush red pepper for the 2 or 3 dried red chiles that were called for. I couldn't find those other than in big bags and I'd probably never use them all! It added just the right amount of heat for me and it's easy enough to add as much or as little as you'd like.

Moroccan Lentil Soup

2009-01-31T14:54:00.000-08:00

I got an immersion blender for Christmas so I'm always excited when recipes like this come my way and I find a new excuse to use it! It's quickly becoming one of my favourite kitchen gadgets!

I loved all the flavours in this soup - it was almost a little smoky. It's full of great low-fat protein from all the beans and lentils and the veggies and spices add all their own health benefits.

This is a really easy, low-maintenance dinner. Other than all the chopping and the occasional stir, this stuff cooks itself! Great for rainy weekends (because we have so many of those in San Diego!)
I wouldn't really suggest this for a weeknight dinner because it has to simmer for so long. You could make it one night and let it simmer while you cook/eat something else. Store it in the fridge and then re-heat it the next day. That would make it suitable for a busy weeknight since all the work is done! Just pair it with a crisp green salad and some crusty bread (or toast if you always seem to forget to pick up crusty bread for soup nights!)

This will make a lot - I'd say 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup dried lentils
2/3 cup dried chickpeas (aka: garbanzo beans) or 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup dried navy beans (or other white beans) or 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
4 medium-sized fresh tomatoes, chopped (include the seeds) or 1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes (include the juice)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups white wine
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala (I make my own - see the note below)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2-1 cup button mushrooms, sliced (however many you like)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (couple tablespoons)

Method:
1. First things first, you'll need to soak the beans if you're using dried ones. There is a quick-soak method that I got from the Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites Cookbook down below in the "My Changes" section. Otherwise, soak the beans overnight. Once soaked, just drain them and give them a quick rinse before adding them to the rest of the ingredients.

2a. If you have a crockpot, you can dump everything except the lemon juice in and set it on low to cook for 8-10 hours. Something about leaving something with heat on all day while I'm at work scares me so I refuse to buy a crock pot! Besides, I think of them as tools for roasting chickens and it's not like I'll be doing that anytime soon. ;) Hmmm... I will admit, I miss a good roasted chicken... not enough to go back to eating meat, though.

2b. If you don't have a crockpot, dump everything except the lemon juice in a Dutch oven and cook it on the stove-top. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down to very low heat and let it all simmer for 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally.

3. Once it's done simmering, stir in the lemon juice. I let mine sit on the hot burner (turned off) for a couple minutes after adding the juice.

4. Just before you serve the soup, use an immersion blender to blend it all up. If you prefer, you can pour the soup in a regular blender or food processor and pulse. Probably best to do it a little at a time if you go that route. Oh, and be sure to put a towel over the top so you don't scald yourself with hot soup steam. Ouch!

Reference:
This was posted a while back by one of the ladies on the Nest cooking board (thank you!) There are a couple other sources for it, though. This one from the blog A Year of CrockPotting and this version from AllRecipes (cited on the Year of CrockPotting blog).

My Changes:
I made a few!
First, I'm not the proud owner of a crock pot so I just made this on the stove in my Le Creuset.
Ingredient changes:
*I used dried beans instead of canned. I just quick-soaked them by bringing the dried beans to a boil and then letting them sit in the hot water (off the heat) for one hour. They'll cook the rest of the way while the soup simmers.
*I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned.
*Rather than using all veggie broth, I halved the amount and then used white wine to make up the total amount.
*I added some mushrooms and lemon juice, just because. :)
*I'd really like to try this with a dollop of Greek yogurt next time. Of course, that will make it non-vegan...
*I make my own form of garam masala by mixing the following together:
4 tbsp. cumin (or coriander seeds if you happen to have those)
1 tbsp. curry powder (or cumin seeds)
1 tbsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. dried ginger
3/4 tsp. cloves or allspice
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. crushed bay leaves
3/4 tsp. cardamom
I modified this recipe to get the garam masala version that I use. It makes a ton but you can store it in an air-tight container.

Lickety Split

2009-01-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

It has been muffin madness in my kitchen lately with three new muffin recipes this last week! All successful despite some weird yield amounts (which may have a lot to do with all the additions I made to each one). These ones are probably my favourite of all of them!

These started out as a banana-split muffin recipe so I wanted to keep the ice-cream parlour theme going as I made a couple changes. To do that, I added in some extra nuts and flaked coconut. Next time I may try some crushed pineapple and I'd also like to add some wheat germ (nothing to do with the ice-cream theme!)
I can't wait to enjoy these for breakfast during the week.

This made 12 standard-size muffins (even though I halved the original 12-muffin recipe!)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 very ripe bananas, smushed up
1/4 cup firm tofu, smushed up (egg substitute)
1/4 cup turbinado (raw) sugar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (butter substitute)
1/2 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3/8 cup non-dairy, semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/8 cup dried Bing cherries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup coconut

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with unbleached cupcake papers or lightly grease with vegetable oil or non-dairy butter.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, combine the mashed bananas, mashed tofu, turbinado sugar, olive oil, and vanilla.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the banana mixture into the well. Stir to combine but be careful not to over-mix. Gently stir in the chocolate chips, nuts, cherries, and coconut.

4. Scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, filling each muffin cup about 3/4 full. Bake the muffins at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool on a wire rack (but make sure you try one while they're still slightly warm!)

Reference:
This recipe is based on the Banana-Split Muffins recipe from the November/December 2008 issue of VegNews magazine.

My changes/additions:
*I used half-and-half on the flours - 1/2 cup whole-wheat and 1/2 cup all-purpose (original called for all whole-wheat flour).
*I added the pecans, coconut, and cinnamon.
*I changed the method around a bit.

Tip:
Really make sure you smash that tofu up! My taste-test muffin had little white chunks in it :) Hmmm... I wonder what that could be? Obviously, it won't change the taste at all but you'll want to try to avoid that, especially if you're serving these to others.

Pasta with Fresh-Herb Pesto and Green Leafies

2009-01-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

I love discovering new pesto recipes, especially ones that don't include cheese! Yes, I love cheese but with a family history of not-so-wonderful cholesterol, I have to cut back when I can. Take it from this cheese-lover, you won't miss it here! :) I'm sure all that oil has something to do with that... Oh well, isn't olive oil supposed to be good for your heart? Either way, it's not as cholesterol-laden as some pestos.

This dish is low in sodium and has only 13 grams total fat with a scant 2g sat. fat (and, what do you know? 0mg cholesterol! yeay!) Additionally, it's a good source of plant-based proteins, complex carbohydrates (esp. if you use whole wheat pasta) and fiber. Plus, dark green, leafy veggies are full of goodies like calcium and vitamins.

I made this with spinach but the original recipe called for kale (black kale to be precise). I've never actually tried kale but I seriously need to branch out and use more greens in my cooking! I know all the health benefits of them and I'm sure they all taste great. That can be a goal for the year.

Make all the pesto, even if you're only cooking the pasta part for one or two people. Pesto freezes well and is great to keep on hand for quick lunches!

Fresh-Herb Pesto
Serves 6
3/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup walnuts
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. fresh thyme, strip the leaves from the stem
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, strip leaves from the stem and chop them up a bit
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Pasta
Serves 2-3
1/2-1 cup spinach, chopped (or kale..)
5 or 6 mushrooms (oyster, baby bellas, button, cremini), cut in half
1 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 large sprig thyme (do not remove the leaves)
1 large sprig rosemary (do not remove the leaves)
1/2 cup organic white wine (organic wines are usually vegetarian/vegan-approved)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
6 oz. capellini, spaghetti, or fettuccine noodles
A little additional olive oil

Method:
1. Pulse the parsley, walnuts, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp. thyme, 1 tsp. rosemary, 2 tbsp. olive oil, and lemon juice in a food processor until well-blended.

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions but add the whole sprigs of thyme and rosemary plus the sliced garlic clove to the cooking water. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, remove the herb sprigs with a tea strainer or tongs and then add in the spinach. Drain pasta.

3. While the pasta cooks, heat a little olive oil in a small skillet. Add the onion and mushrooms and saute until tender. Add the wine and let it reduce for a few minutes (to about half the original amount of wine).

4. Pour the wine-mushroom-onion mixture into the pasta-spinach mixture and stir to combine. Toss in some of the pesto along with the sun-dried tomatoes. You can sprinkle some freshly-shredded Parm on the top but you won't need it (this is vegan if you leave the cheese off. To keep it vegan but add some "creaminess," try grinding up some almonds in a coffee grinder and sprinkling those on top).

Reference:
Based on the recipe "Fettuccine with Three-Herb Pesto, Black Kale, and Oyster Mushrooms" from the February 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.

I made it my own by...
*Using white wine in place of veggie broth
*Adding lemon juice in place of some of the oil in the pesto
*Tossing in the sun-dried tomatoes
*Using cappelini in place of fettuccine
*Using spinach in place of black kale
I also switched around the method quite a bit since I thought this way would be faster and would use fewer dishes!

Ooh, bonus! I just read that while spinach is a source of iron, it also contains these pesky iron-absorption inhibitors.. but, if you add in iron-absorbing helpers like, oh, white wine, you can help keep those inhibitors at bay and get more of the iron from the natural, whole-food spinach source.
Source:
http://www.healthcastle.com/iron-spinach.shtml

While I'm on the iron note, I just read somewhere else (it was either Veg Times or VegNews) that non-heme iron, while not as bioavailable to the body (meaning it isn't as well absorbed as meat-based heme iron), is actually better for you since the human body is able to better regulate its non-heme iron absorption. God, what a sloppy sentence! To think, they gave me a Masters! In teaching of all things! lol :)
Anyway, get back to your point, blondie! That all means that our bodies are able to put up a big "Stop" sign to prevent us from absorbing too much non-heme iron. That isn't the case with the iron from meat-based foods - the body will just keep on absorbing it with no overdose protection. I realize iron deficiencies are bad but so are iron overdoses so I'll take my plant-based iron and just make sure I have a glass of OJ (or wine!) along with it. :)

Now I have to find the source of all that so I can blame someone else if it is wrong! heh ;) Made me feel better to read that, though, since iron is one of those "but where will you get your...?" questions I hear all the time (and I do not like to get nutrients from supplements).

Who needs salt?

2009-01-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

This is a really great roasted veggie recipe. It's fairly low-fat (11g total; 1.5g sat. fat. - at least according to the original recipe) in addition to being low-sodium, vegan, and gluten-free. Oh yeah, and fricking delicious! ;)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup cauliflower florets, cut up into bite-sized pieces
1 cup halved Brussels sprouts
1 cup broccoli (I'm not sure that's such a "winter vegetable" but DH went with all the carrots and I needed something to add in!)
1/2 medium sweet potato, diced
1/2 cup onion, cut up into large dice
1/2 parsnip, cut into sticks
5 or 6 small mushrooms (button, cremini, or baby bellas), halved
1 clove garlic
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, stripped from stem
1 tsp. fresh thyme, stripped from stem
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Pinch dried lavender
Pinch dried tarragon
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. Toss the Brussels sprouts, broccoli, parsnip, sweet potato, cauliflower, and mushrooms in a large bowl along with 1 1/2 tbsp. oil, the garlic clove, rosemary, thyme, lavender, tarragon, and a couple grinds of fresh black pepper.

2. Spread the veggies out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes at 450, turning 3 times with spatulas. Save the bowl! You'll need it in step 4.

3. Turn up the heat to 475 or 500 (I left mine at 475) and roast for an additional 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. You can add the sliced green onions at this point if you like.

4. Grab the bowl you used earlier and add the parsley, lemon juice, and the remaining olive oil. Throw in the roasted veggies and toss it all together. Serve hot on a bed of rice, quinoa, couscous, or pasta (rice or quinoa would be gluten-free; couscous and pasta are wheat-based so they would cancel out that but you can find GF pastas if necessary).

Reference:
Based on the recipe "Herb-Roasted Winter Veggies" from the January 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.

How I made it my own:
I added in the 'shrooms, parsnip, onion, green onion, lavender, and tarragon. I also used plain olive oil mixed with a clove of garlic in place of garlic-infused olive oil (which I'm sure is fantastic but in this economy [and on my teacher salary], I'm using what I have already! lol)
Oh yes, due to an unexpected lack of carrots, I also subbed in broccoli :)

New Name :)

2009-01-21T17:07:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to come up with a more creative title for my blog for months and finally came up with the age-old question "but where do you get your protein?"
I have my omnivorous friends and family members to thank for that. :) It's really one of my favourites... maybe someday I'll write a post on all the reasons I think I actually do far better in the iron/protein/calcium/Omega-3 departments now than I ever did when I ate chicken and fish. To think someone once tried to tell me that vegetarianism was an eating disorder..! :)

Anyway, it's still "Gillian's Goodies" just with a new name for the new year (I'm just a bit late on the new year thing given that it's January 21 already... already! 3 weeks into 2009.. yikes!)

Fruit and Nut Muffins

2009-01-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

These have all sorts of things going on - it's like every bite has a new flavour to taste! These muffins are based on a recipe for muffins using just two types of dried fruits so I added in another fruit and some chocolate chips for a little extra oomph!

Despite being really tasty, these also have tons of nutritional benefits. While dried fruit often gets a bad rap for being so full of sugar, it is natural sugar and none of that high-fructose corn crap or over-processed refined sugar. Plus, dried fruits are a decent source of non-heme iron which is important for vegetarians and omnivores alike.
The nuts add healthy fats; the dark chocolate has antioxidants; and the lack of dairy makes these suitable for people who cannot tolerate lactose.
All that makes these a yummy, portable, and healthy breakfast treat!

Makes somewhere between 12 and 24 muffins
(Again with the funny amounts! I halved a recipe that said it would yield 12 and still got 12! Thank goodness I like them... and muffins freeze well!) The amounts below reflect those from the original recipe, they are not reflective of my halved amounts.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, include the juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (I like the dark amber variety)
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup dried Bing cherries, cut up into quarters (if using whole cherries)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with unbleached cupcake papers or grease with a little non-dairy butter or canola oil spray.

1. Combine the almond milk, pineapple (don't forget the juice), olive oil, maple syrup, and agave nectar in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Make a well in the dry mixture and then pour in the milk and pineapple mixture. Stir until just combined, being careful to not over-mix. Gently stir in the fruit, nuts, and chocolate chips.

3. Spoon the muffin mix into the prepared muffin pan. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Reference:
This is based on the Fruitcake Muffins recipe from the November/December 2008 issue of VegNews magazine.
My changes included adding in the cranberries and chocolate chips; using half maple syrup and half agave nectar (instead of just maple syrup); and using all-purpose flour in place of a mixture of oat flour and whole-wheat (next time I might try it with half whole-wheat, half AP).
I'd like to try adding in some rolled oats in place of some of the flour.

Spicy Double-Chocolate Muffins

2009-01-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

Another success in the vegan baking department. :)
I have today off work (hence all the blog updates) so I decided to try out some new recipes. I made these and another (equally yummy) batch of muffins that I'll blog in a little bit.

These are nice and light with just enough spiciness (I actually might add just a drop more of each one next time). I didn't really notice the cayenne in the muffin I taste-tested but then again, I am one of those who loves spicy pepper with dark chocolate (mmm... mole sauce). If anything, it probably works to bring out the chocolate flavour (as would a bit of espresso or other strong coffee). The cayenne is optional so if you're a bit sketchy about hot pepper and chocolate combinations, you can leave it out. :)
The nuts and chocolate chips are a nice surprise (especially when the chips are still melty!)

This will make anywhere from 12-18 muffins
(I halved a recipe that supposedly yields 12 and got 8... I seem to have that problem with vegan baking recipes! The amounts listed below are based on the whole [yields 12 muffins] recipe).

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/8 cup agave nectar
6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (check the label to make sure it is non-dairy)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (you know you want to try it!)
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. freshly-ground flax seeds (buy them whole and grind them using a coffee grinder)
6 tbsp. water
1 cup low-fat almond milk (or other non-dairy milk: soy, hemp, rice, etc.)
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy butter, melted (I always like original Earth Balance)
1/2 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips (most semi-sweet chocolate chips are dairy-free but do a quick label check to be sure)
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with unbleached cupcake papers (or lightly grease the cups with non-dairy spread or canola oil spray).

1. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne, and salt.

2. Whisk the ground flax and water together in a small bowl (a fork or mini whisk will do the trick). The mixture should be light and creamy.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flax and water mixture, almond milk, melted butter, and agave nectar. Add this combination to the dry mixture and stir until they are just combined (see those ugly pointy tops on my muffins? Those are the result of over-mixing! I'm always guilty...)
Gently stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

4. Spoon the mixture into the muffin pan cups (it will be runny). The cups should be about 3/4 of the way full of muffin mix. Bake about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Reference:
Based on the recipe Hearty Spicy Cocoa Muffins from The Joy of Vegan Baking.
I made these my own by subbing agave nectar for granulated sugar and ground flaxseed and water for the Ener-G egg replacer and water (flax adds healthy omega-3 fats and is a more "whole" ingredient than commercial egg replacer). I also used both pecans and walnuts (as opposed to just one or the other).
I'll try adding some dried fruit next time!

Pasta e Fagioli (e tons of other stuff..!)

2009-01-19T10:33:00.000-08:00

This started out as a recipe that sounded like it was lacking a few things so I threw in a bunch of other things I found in the fridge/pantry and made it my own :) I think I remembered to write down everything I added!

I cheated and added some freshly-grated Parmesan to the end product making mine non-vegan. If you are actually serving vegan friends or just want to be adventurous (you only live once, right?) you can add some finely ground almonds to this dish. Sounds a bit odd but the almonds actually add a nice creaminess and work as a natural cheese substitute for vegan meals. A coffee grinder makes easy work of grinding up the nuts.

2-3 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup navy beans (I used dried beans that had been soaked/cooked. That measurement is after soaking/cooking the beans)
1/4 cup kidney beans (also dried. Use canned if you like).
1/2-3/4 cup (dry) small pasta shells
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 can tomatoes, drained and diced
1/4 cup mushrooms (any kind you like - button, cremini, or baby bellas work well), chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion (red or white)
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/8 cup white wine (if you don't use alcohol, you can sub veggie broth for the wine)
1/2 tbsp. fresh thyme (remove the leaves from the stem)
1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, stems removed and needles/leaves chopped up a bit
1/4 tsp. dried oregano (or ~1/4 tbsp. fresh, leaves removed from stems)
1/4 tsp. dried basil (or ~1/4 tbsp. fresh, chopped)
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt
Additional fresh parsley to garnish

Method:
1. If you are using dried beans, remember you'll need to start hours in advance so they have time to soak. You can also quick-soak them by bringing them to a boil in enough water to cover them by 3-4 inches. Once they are boiling, immediately remove them from the heat and let them sit, covered, for 1 hour. Drain, rinse, and cook as usual.

2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and keep warm once it is done. While the pasta is cooking, saute the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned.

3. Pour the tomatoes, spinach, wine or broth, black pepper, sea salt, and herbs into a medium-sized pot. Add in the mushroom and onion mixture. Bring this to a boil and then let it simmer until the sauce is thickened.

4. When the sauce is reduced, add the beans and pasta and carefully mix it all together. Let the beans and pasta get heated through then serve immediately. Sprinkle a little fresh parsley over the top as a garnish if desired.

Reference:
Based on the Pasta e Fagioli recipe from Veganomicon.
I added the mushrooms, onion, spinach, basil, parsley, and rosemary. I also used dried beans instead of canned (and used two kinds instead of just one as suggested in the original recipe). Additionally, I subbed in canned tomatoes for fresh and used fresh thyme in place of the dry.

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells with Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions

2009-01-19T10:07:00.001-08:00

Phew, quite a name! :)

DH loves stuffed shells but he has been deprived of them for almost a year now since I just haven't had time to fuss around making a decent vegetarian version. I tried it once a couple months ago after he commented on how much he missed them. I figured I could just leave out the sausage and they'd be OK. Wrong.. they were so blah. I may be English, but I do not do bland! ;) Anyway, now that I'm finished with my Masters and have a bit more time to play around in the kitchen, I came up with the following for dinner on Saturday. These are really tasty and have some great nutrition boosts thanks to the mushrooms and spinach.

Makes 4 large shells (I eat two with a big salad and save the remaining two for lunch the next day)

Ingredients:
4 large pasta shells
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 egg (you could either whisk the whole egg and then measure approx. half of that or separate the egg and use just the white or, if you're feeling indulgent, just the yolk ;)
3 oz. low-fat ricotta (or cottage cheese)
1/8 cup freshly-grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/8 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped spinach
Olive oil
1/8 cup chopped onion
3 or 4 mushrooms (button, cremini, baby portobellas), chopped
1 tbsp. fresh parsley (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. dried fennel, crushed
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. panko (or other dry breadcrumbs)
1/2-1 cup marinara sauce
A little extra freshly-grated Parm or mozzarella to sprinkle on top

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta cooks, sautee the mushrooms and onion in a little olive oil over medium heat. Remove from heat and scrape into a large bowl.

3. Add the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan to the onion-mushroom mixture. Mix together. Add the egg, panko, and spinach and mix to combine. Stir in the fennel, garlic, parsley, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

4. Spread some marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Spoon filling into each of the shells and then place them in the marinara-covered dish. Top the shells with the remaining marinara sauce and cover the dish with foil.

5. Bake the shells for 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with additional mozzarella or Parmesan as desired during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Reference:
I started out with this recipe as the base and then added other items based on the manicotti recipe. The mushrooms and fennel were last-minute "ooh, I have mushrooms and fennel" additions. The idea to saute the mushrooms and onion also came to me as I was getting ingredients out.

Disappearing Brownies

2009-01-19T09:40:00.000-08:00

These are quite possibly the best fudge brownies I've ever made. They have this wonderful crispy top that adds an unexpected crunch to this otherwise very fudgy treat!
I do still love the old brownie recipe that I've used for years but something about not having to chop up chocolate (I always thought that was such a PITA) is really refreshing!

Hubby's aunt actually gave me the recipe - she found it in one of those in-flight magazines on her plane trip over Christmas (lol - of all places to find a new favourite recipe!) Unfortunately, I never found out which airline the magazine was from so that's the best I can do for a reference. Given that, I probably shouldn't be blogging these but they were so fantastic, I have to share them! ;)

These got the name since we made a pan and they disappeared within 30 minutes! I don't think the poor things had time to cool completely! :) Needless to say, we made another batch the next day (they are really easy to make). There was a joke going around that if you leave the clean, empty brownie pan out on the counter, more brownies magically appear overnight. Yeah, don't we wish! :)

I haven't tried this yet (believe me, it's on the to-bake list), but I think these would be really easy to convert to a vegan brownie recipe. As far as I can tell, all you'd have to do is to change the butter into 4 cups of non-hydrogenated vegan spread (Earth Balance is my fave) and the eggs to any egg substitute (4 eggs worth). Since they are bars, the egg subs should be pretty easy - you could use ground flax and water, Ener-G egg replacer and water, smushed up silken tofu, applesauce, bananas, or (one I've never tried but am rather intrigued by) vinegar and baking soda.

No photo, sorry! Darn things disappeared too fast! But, hey, that's just another excuse for me to make these again (and to try some of the add-ins I listed below!) :)

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, melted (2 sticks)
2/3 cup unbleached flour
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs (at room temperature)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Feel free to add in walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, chopped up Heath bars (yum!), toffee bits, dried fruits, etc... (or any combination of those ingredients! I'd say 1/2 cup to 1 cup total would do it)

Ooh, how yummy would these be if you subbed in pure peppermint extract for the vanilla and then crushed up some peppermint candies and added those in? :) I also have to try this base for amaretto brownies.

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Grease a 9-inch by 9-inch baking pan. I like to rub the butter wrappers on the pan so nothing is wasted. Dust the buttered pan with a little flour.

2. Whisk the sugar and melted butter together in a large bowl. Add in the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, blend together the flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. Add this mixture to the sugar and butter mixture and stir just until blended (do not overmix).

4. Spread the brownie mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Reference:
Oops.. see note above. Thank you airline magazine! And DH's aunt! :) I have a feeling it may have been United... or US Airways (DH might know so I may be back to update this)
The ideas for adding in all the nuts, chips, etc., subbing in the peppermint, and making these vegan were my own. At least nobody can sue me for that part! ;) Thank you to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and her book The Joy of Vegan Baking for the baking soda and vinegar egg substitute idea.

Lower-Sugar Cookies

2009-01-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

These were surprisingly very tasty. Unlike the first recipe I tried (that I found on a popular recipe website), these did not have a nasty Splenda after-taste. After that un-presentable disaster, I decided to modify a tried-and-true recipe to make them lower in sugar for a diabetic family member.
This version is also vegan but you can make them non-vegan by subbing in 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter for the non-dairy Earth Balance and 1 egg for the Ener-G substitute.

Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup Earth Balance non-dairy spread
1/4 cup agave nectar (lower glycemic index than regular sugar)
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 1/2 tsp. Ener-G egg replacer
2 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, oatmeal, and cinnamon. Stir well to mix. Whisk together the water and Ener-G powder until combined and slightly thickened.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Earth Balance, agave nectar, and brown sugar substitute until well mixed. Beat in the Ener-G mixture and the vanilla.

3. Lower the mixer speed and beat in the flour and oatmeal mixture. Add in the chocolate chips.

4. Drop tablespoons of the batter on the prepared pans. Flatten the mounds with the back of a fork.

5. Bake 12-15 minutes or until they spread and color evenly and become firm. Cool on wire racks and then store in an air-tight container.

Reference:
Based on the Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe from the book Cookies Unlimited by Nick Malgieri.

That's more like it...

2009-01-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

Remember my failed attempt at thumbprint cookies with the candy cane Hershey Kisses? Well, after figuring out how to actually make thumbprint cookies, I had another go at them later that week. The results were much better! :)
(I just can't believe it took me this long to blog the new photo!)

Menu - January 17-23

2009-01-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

I fell off the blogging wagon for a while there but I am back and all excited about my menu for this week :) DH's stuff is boring so I won't even bother putting that on here.

Saturday - Stuffed Shells (I'm going to try to add some zing to my veggie version.. last time they were a bit blah); huge salad; yummy dessert thingy DH brought me from DZ Akins :) He doesn't know what it is (lol) but it looks fantastic!

Sunday - Pasta e fagioli from Veganomicon

Monday - Quinoa, black bean, and corn stuffed tomatoes; probably a big salad on the side

Tuesday - Pasta with 3-herb pesto and mushrooms (another pesto to add to the collection!)

Wednesday - Herb-roasted winter veggies and rice

Thursday - "Tofu au Vin" (based on a Tempeh au Vin recipe) with some amazing walnut-cranberry Brussels sprouts concoction (can't wait!) Oh, and quinoa on the side

Friday - We'll probably go out for Italian (it's sort of a tradition)

Other things I'm going to try out soon (I may try one on Monday since I have the day off!)
*Banana Split Muffins (vegan)
*Fruit Cake Muffins (vegan)
*Cherry Garcia ice-cream (absolutely not vegan - heh - but I "need" an excuse to use the leftover dried cherries from the two muffin recipes and I have some absolutely fabulous organic super-dark chocolate that I can throw in there... yum!)

I actually have a couple recipes to post but I'll get to those at some point soon! :)

Twinkle, Twinkle

2008-12-18T09:54:00.000-08:00

Confession: I'm not much of a sugar cookie fan. They're just a bit boring generally. I do love this recipe that I found on Annie's blog last year - the almond extract really adds that necessary little je ne c'est quoi :)
These are another great option for people who are bored with basic sugar cookies. The cardamom adds a lovely almost flowery taste. It's also quickly becoming one of my new favourite kitchen scents. I kept wafting the bottle under my nose as I was making the dough for these.
I found these to be rather reminiscent of lavender shortbread. Yum!

Cardamom Sugar Stars

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
Cookies ~
1 7/8 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (yes, I halved the original recipe and ended up with a wonky amount. Could have been worse...)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (room temp)
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1 egg
1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract (no, that's not a typo! It should be 1/2 tablespoon)

Spice Mixture ~
1/8 cup sugar or sparkling sugar (see note below)
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom

Method:
*Note: You will need to refrigerate the dough overnight so keep that in mind before starting these.

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

2. Cream the butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp. cardamom in a large bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla then mix in the flour mixture until it is just blended. Knead the dough by hand just until it is smooth. Divide the dough into two pieces; shape into flat rounds. Cover the rounds and refrigerate until firm enough to roll (overnight or up to two days).

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator (one round at a time) and let it stand at room temperature until it is soft enough to roll but still firm. Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to about 1/8-inch thickness. If the dough gets too soft at any time, you can return it to the fridge until it's firm.

4. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the dough (it's helpful to dip the cutter in flour to help prevent sticking). Reroll leftover scraps. Repeat with remaining dough.

5. Combine all the spice mixture ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over the cookies. Bake 8-10 minutes or until pale golden brown at the edges. Let cool on wire racks.

These cookies can be made ahead. According to the original recipe, you can make them a month ahead and store them in airtight containers. I like to freeze my baked cookies.

Sparkling sugar:
I actually found sparkling sugar at Michaels (Wilton brand).
You can also order it from the following places:
King Arthur Flour
Fancy Flours
Great News
If you can't find it, you could sub regular granulated sugar or turbinado.

Reference:
Cardamom Sugar Stars by Alice Medrich. I found this recipe in the December 2007/January 2008 issue of Cooking Pleasures Magazine.
I didn't change anything this time around but I'm interested in trying different extracts (orange or almond? I think either of those would work with the sweet cardamom) or maybe subbing in cinnamon for the cardamom.

OK, I feel like a dork!

2008-12-17T16:59:00.000-08:00

LOL... I just read a thumbprint cookie recipe and found out why my Hershey Kisses burned (see the story in my previous post).
Apparently, you aren't supposed to add the Kisses until after you take the cookies out of the oven! Oops..! They are called thumbprint cookies because you make a little indentation with your thumb then bake the cookies and THEN insert the chocolate. Heh... oh well, least I know for next time!

Double-Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (Vegan!)

2008-12-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

These are so festive :) Even though I'll take chocolate-mint anything anytime of year!
These were my first attempt at making vegan cookies. I've made quite a few other vegan sweets but those have all used egg substitutes I was familiar with. These called for a commercial egg replacer so I wasn't sure how they would turn out. It works! They were easy to make and I highly recommend these for any chocoholic, vegan or not. :)
Since they are dairy-free, they are also a good option for lactose-intolerant friends.

I made these as a special treat for my vegan sister and brother-in-law and decided to keep a couple for myself. Well, since I had some of those candy cane Hershey Kisses (bit of an impulse buy at Target last night), I figured I'd try out some thumbprint cookies with them. I have never tried making thumbprint cookies so this was a huge experiment! What do you know? I managed to screw them up a bit! Apparently the vegan baking gods did not appreciate my de-veganizing my cookies - the tops of the Kisses all burned! lol :) They still taste fine and they are just for hubby and myself so it's no big deal. They look really funny, though! Guess I gave myself a bit of bad cookie karma ;)

PS - the dough is also fantastic! And you can eat it since there are no raw eggs or other yuckies

This made 32 cookies
(I used my small cookie scoop - original recipe said it would yield 1 1/2 dozen but I always end up with more vegan goodies than the recipe states..! Nice problem to have, I suppose)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp. Ener-G Egg Replacer (see photo below)
2 tbsp. water
3/4 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy butter (I use Earth Balance)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (I like the Wholesome Sweeteners sugars since they are organic and fair trade)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I use evaporated cane juice)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips (semi-sweet chips are usually OK)

Ener-G Egg Replacer:
Method:
1. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Whisk together the egg replacer and water until it is thick and creamy. Set aside. Mine looked like whisked egg whites when it was ready (frothy). It will thicken up as it sits so don't worry if it seems too runny.

3. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat in the egg replacer as well as the vanilla and peppermint extracts.

4. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture to the butter mixture. Stir well to combine and then add the chocolate chips. Mix the chips in but do not over-stir.

5. Drop rounded tablespoons of the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet. Do not try to press the blobs of dough down with a fork - it's too sticky and they come out not looking very nice (yes, I tried on one batch!)
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove the cookies from the baking sheet immediately after removing from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.

These make great dunkers!

*If you would like to make a non-vegan version of these, simply sub 1 egg for the egg replacer. The butter amount would remain the same so you can sub in salted or unsalted butter as desired. I do recommend you make the vegan ones at least once. You'd never know they're vegan!
I know, I say that every time I post a vegan baking recipe. It's true, though!

Reference: Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies from The Joy of Vegan Baking.

Oops... ;)

Health Conscious Chefs Event

2008-12-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

I've decided to participate in a blogging event! :) It's from Joelen's blog - she is always setting up such wonderful food-related events! I wish I had half that energy :)
This event is based on recipes from health-conscious chefs so I've decided to submit a couple:

Pineapple-Cashew Quinoa Stir-Fry from Veganomicon

Black Bean Chili from Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites

Here's the link to the event. I can't wait to see all the fantastic things that are posted!

Menu - December 15-19

2008-12-14T20:06:00.000-08:00

Nothing new this week - I need to focus on getting Christmas shopping done! lol
I do have a couple baking recipes that I'd like to try when I can find time during the week.

Monday - Lentil curry for me; Lemon-mustard chicken for M with Pioneer Woman's Whiskey-Glazed Carrots (we have a bottle of Jack Daniels and neither of us likes that - all I do with it is make BBQ sauce! lol. Hopefully these will be another yummy way to use it up!) Yes, I am going to have the carrots alongside my curry... I know, doesn't go at all but oh well! :)

Tuesday - We have plans with a friend to go shopping so we'll probably just eat out.

Wednesday - Wednesdays are always a bit of a rush so we'll just have soup from the freezer (heated up, of course!) Beef stew for M and either black bean chili or split pea for me.

Thursday - Either Chickpea tagine or black bean and quinoa pilaf for me; either fish sticks or marinated pork chops for M (it will probably be the chops since I already have those and, knowing me, I will completely forget to stop and get fish on Thursday! lol)

Friday - Crispy chicken strips for M and black beans and rice for me.

Baking recipes I'm looking forward to trying this week:
*Cardamom sugar stars
*Tiramisu walnut cookies (how flipping amazing do those sound?! I hope they live up to the name!)
*Vegan double-chocolate mint cookies (trial run for some I'd like to bake for my sister and brother-in-law. I've never made vegan cookies so wish me luck!)

Black Bean Chili

2008-12-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

My new favourite chili recipe! This is very similar to black bean soup, just a little chunkier.
It's pretty quick to put together so it makes a good option for a weeknight meal. Great with some cornbread.
The Moosewood book I got this from recommends using leftover chili to make chilaquiles (one of my favourite breakfast items!) so I will definitely have to try that soon :)

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tbsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup prepared fresh salsa
1 red or green bell pepper (or 1/2 of each pepper), chopped
1 (15-ounce) can of black beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (if using dried)
1 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes, diced with juice
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
Salt to taste
Hot pepper sauce
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Grated cheese, chopped raw onion, sour cream to garnish (of course, dairy cheese and sour cream would de-veganize this recipe but you can get nondairy versions of both if required)

Method:
1. Place the water, onions, and garlic in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and stir on medium-high for another minute. Stir in the salsa and bell peppers, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the black beans and tomatoes, simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until everything is heated through. Add salt and hot sauce to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Garnish as desired.

Reference:
Festive Black Bean Chili from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites.
It really is very festive-looking! I'll have to get a photo next time.

I can't believe it's not butter... or egg!

2008-12-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm! These little muffins are so fantastic!

One of my favourite things about vegan baking (other than licking the spoon) is that the end product is always so light and moist. I think there is this terrible misconception that the lack of egg or real butter would make it heavy as a brick and dry... not from my experience!
Another joy of vegan baking is that non-dairy milk (unopened) has a fairly long shelf life so you can always have a "box" of almond, rice, or whatever milk in the pantry. Same with many vegan egg substitutes (flaxseeds, for example, are good for up to 2 years!) So convenient :)

These are also quite healthy - no hydrogenated fats, low cholesterol (if any), all the great benefits of ginger (it's helpful in warding off colds so it's good this time of year), and flax seed which is a good source of fibre and Omega-3 fatty acids.

The muffins are wonderful just as-is but I highly recommend them heated through with a little non-dairy butter. Even better - add some marmalade or other jam, too.

PS - Do not try to substitute dried, ground ginger for fresh. It won't do these justice at all. And you will thank me for pointing that out when you experience the lovely smell that occurs when that ginger starts spinning around in your food processor :)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. ground flaxseed (equiv. of 2 eggs) *See note on flaxseed below*
6 tbsp. water
1/4 cup finely minced fresh ginger (I may have used more - I just had a chunk of gingerroot and used the whole thing)
1 cup granulated sugar (I always use evaporated cane juice sugar since I know it's not refined in a non-vegetarian manner)
2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated, non-dairy butter (I really like Earth Balance - the whipped stuff is not good for baking, though!)
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond but you could use hemp milk, soy milk, rice milk...)
Juice from 1 lemon

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Remove the skin from the ginger (a small metal spoon does a great job!) and then chop the ginger into smaller pieces. Throw the pieces into a food processor and pulse until well chopped. If you don't own a food processor, you could use a Microplane grater or fine box grater. Remove from the processor and set aside.

2. Add the ground flaxseeds and water to the food processor bowl and pulse until you have a thick and creamy mixture.

3. Combine the ginger and 1/2 cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and is combined with the ginger. This only takes a couple of minutes. Set aside to cool and stir in the lemon zest.

4. Stir the salt, flour, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

5. In a large bowl, beat the non-dairy butter until smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until well-blended. Add the flax mixture and stir well then add the non-dairy milk and lemon juice. Mix well to combine. Add the dry ingredients as well as the ginger-sugar mixture. Stir until just blended.

6. Spoon into prepared muffin tins (I love to use my ice cream scoop for this). Bake 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
*I always seem to end up with more batter than I need with vegan baking recipes.

*Note on flaxseeds:
Tiny little nutrition powerhouses!
Flaxseeds are an excellent (mercury-free!) source of Omega-3 fatty acids but you won't get that benefit unless you grind up the seeds. Buy whole flaxseeds (Bob's Red Mill has them) and then grind them up as you need them. A coffee grinder does a great job of this.
But now you're saying "well, what the heck else do I do with this bag of flax?!" I like to grind some up and add 2 tsp. to my daily mid-morning oatmeal. You can also sprinkle them on salads, soups, in smoothies, or on cold cereal.
PS - not sure it's necessary but once open, I store my bag of flaxseeds in the fridge.

Reference:
Ginger Muffins from The Joy of Vegan Baking.

Tomato Couscous

2008-12-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

A yummy (and quite pretty) side dish that goes together in a flash!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 (14.5 oz) can of tomatoes, diced (you will need the juice)
3/4 cup uncooked couscous (plain)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Good pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. small capers, drained
Vegetable broth or water

Method:
1. Strain the juice from the diced tomatoes until you have about 1 cup of juice. You can squeeze the juice from the tomato pieces if needed. If you don't have enough juice, you can add water or vegetable broth to make it up to 1 cup. Set the tomatoes aside.

2. Combine the juice, olive oil, and oregano in a medium saucepan. Cover and heat to medium high to bring the mixture to a boil. Stir continuously as you add the couscous. Quickly stir in the salt, cayenne, and cloves. Stir to combine and then remove from the heat and cover. Allow the pan to sit for 5 minutes. Fold in the reserved tomatoes and capers. Allow the dish to sit for 2-3 minutes or until the tomatoes are warmed.

Reference:
Tomato Couscous with Capers from Veganomicon.

Rustic White Beans with Mushrooms

2008-12-04T17:44:00.001-08:00

Another Veganomicon success! I have yet to find something from this book that I haven't been crazy about...

I made this earlier in the week with tomato couscous (also from Veganomicon) - I'll post the couscous recipe after this one.

Note: you will need dry beans for this recipe. Canned beans will not work so don't try to take the easy way out! It's worth the extra time (and it's not like soaking beans is anything labour-intensive!) :)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2/3 cup dried white beans (Navy or Great Northern will work well)
1/3 small onion, peeled and sliced into a few pieces (big chunks are OK - don't worry, you will not be eating this)
1 stalk celery, cut into two pieces
1 small carrot, sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried tarragon
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/8 cup onion, finely chopped (original recipe called for a leek)
1/4 lb. mushrooms (any you like really - baby bellas, cremini [I used these], shiitake, white mushrooms [hey, they have the same nutritional value as any of their fancier cousins], or a combination), rinsed and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:
*Before you begin, soak the beans for at least 8 hours. Put them in a bowl with 3-4 inches of water covering them in the morning and they'll be ready to cook when you get home from work.

1. Drain and rinse the beans and transfer them into a large pot. Add 1 cup of cold water, cover, and bring the water to a boil. Boil the water and beans for 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium; add the onion, celery, carrot, thyme, and tarragon. Cover the pot and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the beans are tender (mine always seem to take longer - I think I let mine simmer for an additional half-hour).

2. Remove the carrot, celery, and onion (you can re-use them if you're planning on making a stock). Lower the heat to low and continue to simmer while you prepare the remaining veggies.

3. About 10 minutes before the beans are done, place the garlic and a little olive oil in a cold skillet. Heat over medium until the garlic sizzles. Add the chopped onion or leek and saute 1-2 minutes. Drain the beans and then transfer this mixture to the beans. Add a little more oil to the skillet and allow it to warm through. Add the mushrooms to the oil. Sprinkle the mushrooms with some salt and saute until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add to the beans.

4. Turn off the heat and season the beans with a little more salt and ground pepper. Allow the beans to stand for a few minutes before serving.

Great with Tomato Couscous.

Reference:
Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms from Veganomicon.

Lattice crust = success!

2008-12-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

So it took two tries but my lattice crust turned out quite lovely for a first, um ok second, attempt! :)

Story first and then the procedure..
Thinking everything was ready, I rolled out top crust #1 for my pie. I got the lattice pieces cut and on the pie and ran through to show the hubby. Well, I get back to the kitchen, turn around to stick the thing in the oven and see a mixing bowl with, guess what? A little flour, some cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and all-spice. Yes, blondie here had forgotten to mix the apples with the seasoning. Wow... I get distracted far too easily!

So, had to rip off my almost-perfect lattice topping and make a whole new batch of pie dough and then re-cut the whole thing. Ugh... it's really funny now but I was so pissed when I first discovered this! lol
Oh well - trial run, right? :) I actually think the second one turned out just a teeny bit better so I really can't complain.

I used my normal apple pie recipe. Here are the directions for making the fancy schmancy crust.
Arm yourself with the following:
*Plenty of flour
*A clean clear acrylic ruler
*A pastry cutter/ravioli cutter
*A clean countertop or cutting board (well-floured)
*A rolling pin (well-floured!)

Method:
1. After the pastry has chilled in the fridge for 20 or so minutes, give the cutting board and rolling pin a good dust with some flour. Roll out the pie dough as you would for a regular pie crust.

2. Place the ruler on top of the crust (I started in the center and worked out to the sides) and then run the pastry cutter along the ruler in one motion.

3. Move the ruler over about half an inch and repeat the pastry cutter motion. You will end up with a thin strip of pastry with fancy crinkle-cut edges.

4. Repeat until you have 10-12 pastry strips.

5. Carefully pick up the pastry strips and place them one at a time on top of the pie filling. Again, start in the center by making a cross shape with two strips. Work out towards the sides of the pie alternating under and over with the strips (now I'm wishing I'd taken step-by-step photos... if I make an apple pie at Christmas I'll do that for you!)
i.e.: You'll have the cross at first. Let's say the vertical piece is lying on top of the horizontal piece that made the cross. For the next piece (a vertical piece), you will want to make it go under the horizontal piece of crust (so, don't press down any pieces until you are completely happy with the results/everything is in place). The piece after that will need to go over the horizontal piece. And so on and so on... I hope this makes sense it's rather hard to explain!
Once all the pieces are in place, press the edges into the bottom pie crust which should reach the top of the pie plate. Brush with a little milk and bake.

Oh, and don't forget to mix the apples with the seasonings before tossing them in the bottom crust ;)

Dear Guitar Hero (aka: next door neighbour)

2008-11-27T08:39:00.001-08:00

Good Lord, man, it's 8:30 am on a HOLIDAY! Shut up with the bad guitar playing!

What the heck is wrong with people..? Seriously, guitar at 8:30 am? On Thanksgiving? Some people would appreciate being able to sleep in on a day off. I'm up (shopping online... lol) - I always get up early - but my poor husband is trying to sleep. I really hope you can't hear this in the master bedroom. And it's not even good... that's the worst part!

Sheesh... oh well, he only lives in his townhouse a couple days a week so at least we don't have to hear this every morning but still (and he is our only attached neighbour so I suppose it could be worse) but come on! Bit rude, don't you think?

Thanksgiving 2008 Menu

2008-11-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is the plan for Thanksgiving this year. It's really not much different from last year since I had lots of repeat requests from family members... oh well, made it easy to plan!

I still need some kind of appetizer but I'll think of something! I still have a week :)

Main meal
Turkey - My mother-in-law is taking care of that.
Vegetable Filo Roll Extravaganza (Moosewood) for me (yum!)
Sausage and cornbread stuffing
Cornbread and fruit stuffing (vegetarian; I'm just using this recipe and skipping the chicken-apple sausage and changing veg broth for chicken broth)
Brussels sprouts amandine (I have no clue how to spell that word for "with almonds" - and I took 5 years of French... my teachers would be ashamed)
Green beans amandine (for the people who don't like Brussels sprouts - ie: my brother and DH's family... don't know what they're missing!)
Brown sugar glazed carrots
Some type of potato (still have to figure that bit out. My dad does amazing things with sweet potatoes and orange.. maybe I'll have to borrow his recipe and make those)
Homemade cranberry sauce (my mom is taking care of that but it will just be plain cranberry sauce so I might make another version that is a little more adventurous.. I have a couple recipes I've been needing an excuse to try!)
Homemade apple sauce (I'll do this)

Desserts
Apple pie (from me) - I'm going to try to make a lattice crust
Pumpkin pie (my mom's)
Pumpkin bread (MIL's)
I think my mom mentioned something about minced pies (yummy British Christmas dessert that we, naturally, add lots of booze to!) and a fruit cake (Australian version from my Welsh aunt who has lived in Australia for 20 years [my family is just so fabulously international...lol] - nothing close to the brick-esque American fruit cakes! Sorry... but people actually eat [and enjoy!] our fruit cake)

In other words, far too much food for 7 or 8 people! But isn't that half the fun of the holidays? :) Actually, thinking of the appetizer, I may just say sod it since we have so many flipping desserts!

Menu - November 22-28

2008-11-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

Ah... a blissful week off :) I am on Thanksgiving break from work and I'm done with school (talk about something to be thankful for) so I'll be enjoying a week off - hopefully spending lots of time in the kitchen discovering some new things and dusting off old favourites.

We won't be having Thanksgiving until Saturday, Nov. 29 since my dad will be on a plane coming home from Italy (must be nice, eh?!) on Thanksgiving day. My in-laws are hosting but I've volunteered to do most of the cooking so I'll post my T-day menu in a minute.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to brave the crowds (and insane car parks) and go shopping on "Black Friday".... maybe if people get me their wish lists before then!

Saturday (11/22) - Grilled veggie pitas with lemon saffron rice and a salad for me; fish sticks with cauliflower (shocks me that my picky husband loves cauliflower!) and salad for DH.

Sunday - Tuna melt/caprese panini for lunch; homemade ravioli for dinner (Italian sausage for H, sundried tomato and olive for me)

Monday - Split pea and lentil soup with salad for me; Parmesan pork chops for DH

Tuesday - Stuffed baked potatoes (I'll add some BBQ chicken with homemade BBQ sauce for DH)

Wednesday - Quinoa and black bean stuffed tomatoes (I could eat these every day!) for me; beef stew for DH (he always jokes that he doesn't understand how his veggie wife can make such great beef stew)

Thursday - Spaghetti with homemade marinara/marinara with homemade meatballs

Friday - Pineapple-cashew quinoa stir-fry (mmmm); margarita salmon for DH

Have a lovely Thanksgiving!

I'm back! With a little addition... ;)

2008-11-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

I took a little break so I could focus on finishing my Masters degree! Yes, I have turned in my very last assignment! What a lovely feeling :)
The little addition, by the way, is the MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) I now get to add at the end of my name... heh
Er, maybe I should wait until I get something official from the university before I jinx something!

I need to actually blog the new things I made during all that time off..!

Menu - September 28-October 4

2008-09-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

Sunday - I made a huge pot of spaghetti sauce (don't ask where I found the energy after spending 15+ hours at Disneyland on Saturday!) so we had spaghetti with homemade sauce. I was nice and made hubby some meatballs for his.

Monday - Double-Coriander Eggplant Tagine (because that last one was so fantastic!) with couscous; hubby is having this sweet and spicy tilapia that I'll probably add to the blog since I see a lot of tilapia recipe requests. We'll see how he likes it!

Tuesday - Middle-Eastern Lentils and Rice; Canadian Bacon Cheeseburgers for DH

Wednesday - It's World Vegetarian Day! I'm going vegan all day :)
Quinoa and black bean stuffed tomato for me.
DH is having some very un-vegan BBQ chicken.

Thursday - Vegetarian Split Pea and Lentil Soup (a little different from that recipe); Cajun Style Pork Chops for hubby.

Friday - Feijoada (mmmm) with some Brazilian rice; Oven-Roasted Ribs marinated in Beer and Honey for my honey :)

Saturday - Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie (I saw an article in Veg. Times with a recipe "Unemployed Shepherd's Pie" lol... I may just steal the name)
Tacos for hubby.

Chickpea Tagine

2008-09-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

I love Moroccan food. I actually had a good friend in high school who was from North Africa - she used to make the most fantastic food! :)
Last night, I made a chickpea tagine that I found in the October issue of Vegetarian Times (they have a whole feature on Moroccan goodies!) - yum! Really tasty.. and I'm pleased to announce that I am no longer a Greek yogurt virgin! ;) Oh, Fage, why have I been holding out so long?! Great stuff - I highly recommend it if you've never tried it!

The actual tagine is gluten-free. I served mine with couscous which is a wheat product/not GF. You could use a gluten-free accompaniment like lentils, quinoa, or rice if needed.
You can also make this meal vegan by using agave nectar in place of the honey and skipping the Greek yogurt (you're missing out on that Greek yogurt, though!)

Great things about this meal:
*It goes together in no time! Unlike traditional tagines that include chicken or lamb that has to simmer for a long time, this one is ready in about 45 minutes (including chopping time!)
*It's also a great source of vegetarian protein and iron!
*It's very super-market/pantry friendly - a great ethnic dish with no strange exotic items that you have to hunt high and low for! :)

Serves 2 (mmm... guess what I get to enjoy for lunch today?!)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1/8 cup raisins
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1 cup water
1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley (optional)

Method:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until the onion is soft. Stir in the chickpeas, carrots, raisins, spices, honey, and 1 cup water. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a scoop of yogurt to each serving. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Reference:
Chickpea Tagine with Cinnamon, Cumin, and Carrots from the October 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times.

Millennium Development Goals - MDG Blogging Day

2008-09-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the MDG (Millennium Development Goals) blogging day so here I am sharing it with you all.
The Millennium Development Goals are a set of, well, goals developed by the United Nations to end poverty and hunger and combat AIDS as well as to promote global education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental sustainability, and global partnership. So basically all my causes all wrapped up in a nice little package :)
Here's a link to the UN site about the MDGs - http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
You might also like the ONE Campaign site (yes, I have one of those incredibly sexy white bracelets!) - http://www.one.org/

I think these are all goals that, regardless of our political or religious beliefs, we can all support.
My goal was to keep this non-partisan and secular but I found this blog entry from Rev. Mike Kinman who is the Executive Director of the group Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation and I wanted to share it. I think he has some powerful things to say.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

"For World MDG Blogging Day: A Bailout We Can Believe In" -- by the Rev. Mike Kinman

In moments of crisis ... real or perceived ... the United States has shown that money is no object.

Often those moments have been crises of security. When we went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, we were told that critical security concerns superceded the financial burden that would follow. Now this week, a $700 billion Wall Street bailout is on the table ... and, once again, we are told that the crisis supercedes the financial burden that will follow.

More than a billion people live on less than $1 a day.

Nearly 30,000 children die a day of preventable, treatable causes due to extreme poverty.

More than 100 million school-aged children aren't in school.

Women around the world are disproportionately excluded from educational and economic opportunities.

If this isn't a crisis, I'm not sure what a crisis is. And we have made it clear that in a crisis -- and this one is real -- money is no object.

Today, while our leaders on Capitol Hill and in the White House are debating a $700 billion bailout for Wall Street, in New York City, world leaders are meeting to take stock of how we are doing on meeting the Millennium Development Goals. Here's a hint -- not so well.

On nearly every goal, we're behind where we need to be to reach them by the 2015 target date. It's not because the technology isn't there. It's because we lack the political will to do here what we have been willing to do elsewhere -- put our resources where the crisis is.

When the MDGs were agreed to by every UN member nation eight years ago, the World Bank estimated it would cost $40 billion - $60 billion a year to make them happen. That's a total price tag for the 15 years of $600 billion - $900 billion.

So as EGR's contribution to World MDG Blogging Day, we offer a simple proposal. If there's going to be a bailout, let's give the money to the people who really need it the most. The ones who are literally dying waiting for our help.

Let's keep our promise to make the Millennium Development Goals a reality. While we're ready to write nearly a trillion dollar check to Wall Street, let's shave $60 billion a year off the top and give a bailout to those who really need it.

Let's bail out the extreme poor.

This is a serious proposal. Until we realize that global extreme poverty is a crisis that dwarfs all others by comparison, we will never take the action necessary to heal a broken world.

This is a moral imperative that has gone unheeded too long.

We're not saying ignore the financial crisis on Wall Street ... we're saying if money is available for them, then it's available for people who need it even more.

The Rev. Mike Kinman is the executive director of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation.

In case you'd like to read more on the EGR, here is a link to the blog I found that on: http://www.ringsurf.com/ring_browser.php?id=1655785

Just some food for thought.

What a Snob..!

2008-09-23T19:31:00.001-07:00

I've never had a sloppy Joe... my husband would tell me that makes me un-American (which is OK since I'm English.. heh)
Anyway, he requested sloppy Joes for dinner this week so I decided to try these "Snobby Joes" that I found in that tome of yumminess - Veganomicon. Oh my! They are fantastic! Really easy to make and fast, well once you have the lentils cooked they are fast. I think these will be a fairly regular weeknight meal.

*I labeled these gluten-free since the actual filling is GF. You'd just have to find some sort of GF roll to eat them on (good luck - I've heard GF bread leaves a lot to be desired...) or just eat them sans roll! The filling was tasty just by itself :) Maybe with some GF pasta or rice...

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1/2 cup uncooked lentils
2 cups water
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, cut into small dice
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into small dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. chili powder (no, that's not a typo!)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced (no salt added) tomatoes
1-2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tbsp. prepared mustard (I made mine extra snobby by using Dijon instead of the regular yellow mustard.. heh)
2-3 rolls, sliced in half

Method:
1. Pour the lentils and water into a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

2. When the lentils have about 10 minutes left, pre-heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for 7 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and saute another minute.

3. Stir in the cooked lentils, chili powder, oregano, and salt. Add the tomatoes (I diced mine up a little more prior to adding them). Cook 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard; heat through.

4. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for about 10 minutes. Serve open-faced with a scoop of the lentil mixture on each slice of a roll.

Reference:
This is based on the Snobby Joes recipe from Veganomicon.
The only change I made was to use canned tomatoes in place of 1/2 of an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce and 1/8 cup of tomato paste. I needed some tomatoes for DH's sloppy Joes so I figured I'd just use the rest in these. Worked well. Oh yes, I had no yellow mustard so I subbed Dijon.

Menu - September 22-27

2008-09-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well, so much for my Sam=the dog theory on that True Blood (why the hell do I keep calling it True Love?!) show... sigh... he did bark, though! So maybe there is something to it after all... I'll have to keep watching and find out :) And now I'm noticing something odd about that gray cat - maybe it's Sookie's great uncle or grandpa or whoever had the same telepathic thing as she does. Hmmmm...
Oh, and Entourage was just too funny last night! I heart Ari :) and Lloyd - lol :)

Anyway, on to the menu.

Tonight - Middle-Eastern Chickpeas with Spinach for me; Zesty Jalapeno fish filet for DH

Tomorrow - I have to go to a school board meeting at work but hopefully I'll have time to make sloppy Joes for DH and *snobby Joes* (lol) for myself.

Wednesday - Marinated pork chops (all I remember is that lime was involved...) for DH; chickpea tagine for me

Thursday - I think we are going out with my parents for my birthday. If not, it will be spaghetti with home-made marinara and home-made meatballs for DH and spaghetti with home-made marinara for me.

Friday - DH told me to take the day off work so I think he has something birthday-related up his sleeve :) I hope so - I didn't plan any dinner! heh

Saturday - It's my BIRTHDAY! I'd better not be cooking ;)

World Vegetarian Day

2008-09-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to go pushing my lifestyle on others, in fact, that really drives me nuts when people try to do that! However, I will just take this opportunity to mention that World Vegetarian Day is coming up on October 1.

World Vegetarian Day is a fantastic opportunity for you to learn more about vegetarianism and try out some recipe(s) you've had in the back of your mind for a while. I have tons of yummy recipes on here that are totally meatless. You may also like to take a trip to the library to check out a vegetarian cookbook or look through a magazine for ideas.
Here's a website you might also like to look at: www.worldvegetarianday.org
Here is their welcome page for non-vegetarians :) http://www.worldvegetarianday.org/nonvegetarians/

For those who are more interested in eating meatless more often, October is Vegetarian Awareness Month (cracks me up how everything has an "awareness month") so it's a great time to do a little research to find out about going meatless in a healthy manner and the benefits (to your health and the planet) of vegetarianism.

I'm trying to come up with something I can do that day - maybe an entirely vegan day or something (I have some vegan ice-"cream" recipes I've been dying to try out!) I'd love to hear comments from veg. and non-veg. people who have neat ideas of how to celebrate!

Enjoy! :)

True Blood (HBO)

2008-09-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

So I got sucked into this vampire show on HBO. I'm not much of a TV person at all but I do enjoy those HBO series (and some BBC America stuff but I think that's a given). Since they seem to not be brining back Big Love anytime soon, at least I have this and Entourage (oh, and Bill Maher!) to make up for it ;)

Anyway, I was just watching the last episode again and I had a bit of a revelation. I *think* I have figured out the dog! :) I think it's Sam.
Here you go:
*After she gets called in to Sam's office towards the end of episode 2, it flashes to a picture on the wall. It's a dog with a girl. After I saw that this second time I thought "oh! The dog! There is something with Sam and that dog." Well, then I started thinking about the rest of the episode...
*After she is attacked by the Ratrays and Bill comes and lets her drink his blood, the dog is around. When he walks back to her car, she says "oh, Sam's still up" (or something along those lines). Hmm...
*Have we ever seen Sam out during the day? Um, I think not! :)
So there you have it... I think Sam is some sort of shape-shifter (God, I sound like some Dungeons and Dragons nerd) who changes into that dog.

I'm really interested in seeing where they take this show! I loved loved loved Six Feet Under so I'm hoping this one doesn't just fizzle away (or get too cheesy which I'm a bit afraid of! lol)

Just for the record.. there is something with her grandma, too. I noticed something with that grandma in the first episode and it's still nagging at me. Hopefully they'll give me more clues soon!

Yes, some of you are like "Oh please, I had that dog figured out in the first five minutes of the first episode!" I'm naturally blond and feeling rather proud of myself for catching all this so please excuse me if this is old news! lol ;) Now I hope it works out to be correct so I don't feel like a huge doofus...

Hurray for good fall TV! :) (And HBO East so I don't have to stay up late for all this... heh)

Amazing Lentil Curry

2008-09-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

Yeay for curry!
I used to make these really brilliant chicken and fruit curries - so tasty, you have no idea - and I have to admit, I miss them. This, though, has changed my mind! The lentils really make up for the lack of chicken and they do a wonderful job of absorbing all the great flavours. The only thing I'd add next time is some apple (and maybe some coconut...)
This does have a nice kick to it, even with mild curry powder, so if you're not a fan of spicy foods you may want to leave out the jalapeno.
I should also warn you that it takes a small lifetime for this to cook! It is so worth it, though. :)
Almost forgot, this is a good source of vegetarian protein and iron. Not much to look at but it tasted wonderful!

Enough for 2 large servings (or 2 dinners and 2 lunches the next day - hurray!)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1/4-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. curry powder (any *strength* you like)
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
3/4 cup lentils, sorted and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
3/4-1 lb. cauliflower, chopped into small florets
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 tsp. sea salt

Method:
1. Make sure you have all the stuff chopped and ready to go (well, not the lime or cilantro - that's not added until the last minute) - it goes pretty quickly, like a stir-fry.

2. Heat the oil in a stock-pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add the ginger and jalapeno and saute another minute. Add the spices and then give them a good stir for 30 seconds.

3. Slowly pour in the vegetable broth, then stir in the lentils. Cover the pot and raise the heat to high. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute, stir, and then reduce the heat back to medium-low. Simmer for 12 minutes.

4. Add the cauliflower, stirring so they are coated with lentils. Partially cover and let it simmer away for 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and the broth has all been soaked up. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

5. Allow the curry to sit (covered) for 15 minutes or so. This is a good time to make some rice to go with it. ;)

Reference:
Based on the Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry recipe from Veganomicon.
My changes - used regular old lentils in place of red lentils; used red onion in place of regular old onion; skipped the shallots; used olive oil in place of peanut or grapeseed oil.

Pineapple-Cashew Quinoa Stir-Fry

2008-09-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Yum! This is wonderful!
I really recommend cooking the quinoa in the pineapple juice, but you can use leftover quinoa if you have any sitting around. I'd really like to try adding other veggies to this next time - mushrooms, broccoli, julienned carrots, maybe some zucchini or eggplant...

This is a great source of vegetarian protein. Quinoa is also a decent source of iron which makes it even more fabulous!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
For the Quinoa:
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup cold water
1/8 tsp. soy sauce

For the Stir-Fry:
2 ounces raw, unsalted cashews; chopped up
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Small piece of ginger (about 1/4-inch), peeled and minced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup frozen peas or cooked edamame
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced into thin shreds
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
5 ounces pineapple, chopped up into bite-size pieces (I actually cheated and used crushed pineapple)
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. low-sodium vegetable broth

Method:
1. Prepare the quinoa first. Combine the quinoa, pineapple juice, water, and 1/8 tsp. soy sauce in a saucepan. Cover and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Stir and then lower the heat to low. Cover and cook 10-14 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears translucent. Uncover, fluff, and let cool. Chill the quinoa for at least an hour in the fridge.

2. Use a large nonstick skillet or wok. Have all ingredients chopped and ready to go before you start! Place the chopped cashews in the dry pan and heat over low, stirring constantly until lightly toasted, 4-5 minutes.

3. Remove the cashews from the pan and set them aside. Raise the heat to medium and add the oil, onions, and garlic. When the garlic sizzles, add the ginger and stir-fry around 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and peas. Stir-fry another 3-4 minutes, until the bell pepper is softened and the peas are bright green. Add the basil and mint, and stir another minute before adding the pineapple and quinoa.

4. In a measuring cup, mix together the soy sauce and vegetable broth. Pour over the quinoa and then stir to incorporate completely. Add in the cashews and continue to stir-fry 10-14 minutes or until the quinoa is very hot (use two spoons or a spoon and a spatula to help you scoop it up and stir).

Reference:
Based on the Pineapple-Cashew Quinoa Stir-Fry recipe from Veganomicon.

Funny observation...

2008-09-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

Why do they sell vegan shoes on a website called "The Tannery"? lol

I went looking for these cute J-41 Aquarius shoes that I found in a vegetarian magazine and one of the websites they gave me as a shop online place was The Tannery. That name conjures up all sorts of not very vegan images for me...! ;)

Think I'll get the shoes.. they look so comfy - great for work!

Recipe coming soon (provided my dinner is yummy, that is! lol) :)
I am so sick of looking at my thesis so I'm giving myself a bit of a break from it... my break involves writing on my blog so not really sure how much of a break that is... heh
I have it pretty much done - just revising a couple sections and working on my appendices as well as the PowerPoint presentation I have to do as part of it.
Yeay! :) The end of this Masters degree is so close now, I can touch it! I had totally forgotten what a great feeling that is!
<Pomp and Circumstance>>

The Beginning of the End...

2008-08-21T19:38:00.001-07:00

...of grad school! Well, at least for now... lol ;)
It has begun, I officially started writing my Masters thesis this afternoon. So far, so good. All my research is done (well, we don't really have to do *research* but I have read TONS of articles and a couple books on my topic) and I've started in on my review of the literature.
Hopefully I can keep up the pace and have this sucker done soon so I can work on revising it (aka: totally starting over... heh)

This does mean I may not be blogging much (trying to stick to old stand-by/easy/quick dinners) but I only have until September 27 (which just and so happens to be my birthday!) to get this paper written and submitted so I won't be gone too long. :)

Wish me luck!

Orzo Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes (and other yummies!)

2008-08-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

My goodness, I love this stuff! I've made it a couple times for parties and it always gets rave reviews. Finally getting around to blogging it - figured I'd share the wealth a little :)

The first time I made this, I did it just as a "dinner" for myself and added some kalamata olives. Now, I usually love olives but I thought they made this too salty. I suppose I should have just rinsed the little buggers but I've left the out every other time I've made it and I do not miss them. If you'd like to add them in, use 1/2 cup pitted and roughly chopped olives per batch (6 servings).

Feel free to experiment with the fresh herbs. I've tried this with just parsley (as the original recipe calls for); with a mixture of 1/2 mint and 1/2 basil; and with a mixture of 1/2 parsley and 1/2 cilantro. Either way, it's fabulous!

I highly recommend making this ahead of time and letting it sit in the fridge for as long as you can. This will give it time for the flavours to really all mix together and seep into the orzo. Yum! *Just leave the cheese off until you are ready to serve.*

Serves 6

Ingredients:
Good pinch of saffron
1 pound orzo
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (see note about herbs above)
1/8 cup lemon juice (I usually use more - I love lemon!)
1 tbsp. capers, drained (I also give mine a quick rinse)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes
1/4-1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup crumbled feta (chopped goat cheese is also wonderful with this salad)

Method:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the saffron and then the orzo. Cook for 10-15 minutes (or as the package directs), until the orzo is al dente. Drain the orzo and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

2. While the orzo cooks, grab a large glass bowl and toss together the olive oil, pepper, sea salt, herbs, lemon juice, capers, and sugar. Once the orzo is cooled, give it a good toss in the dressing mixture. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and red onions as well as the olives (if desired). Stick this in the fridge for at least one hour. Once it is ready to serve, carefully toss in the feta or goat cheese. Enjoy :)

Reference:
Based on the "Orzo and Feta with Lemon-Caper Dressing and Kalamata Olives" recipe from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

Southwestern Falafel

2008-08-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

So these need a little tweaking - the overall product is really quite lovely. The little bean patties and the avocado spread work wonderfully together but, without that avocado spread the little bean patties are, well, lacking. I'm sure it's an easy fix - some chili powder or cayenne (or both.. why not?) should do the trick!

LadyChicago on the Nest shared this recipe (and her tips) with me some time back but I just go to these this week. The original recipe is from Cooking Light.

Serves 2 (4 small falafel patties + 1 pita bread)

Ingredients:
~Falafel patties~
1/2 15-ounce can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/8 cup panko (original called for crushed tortilla chips - this was a tip from LadyC!)
1 tbsp. finely chopped green onions
1/2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1/16 tsp. ground cumin
Egg white (hard to measure, but use about half the white from one egg)
1 tsp. vegetable oil

~Avocado spread~
I love avocado anything so I am leaving the spread amounts so you make enough for 4 servings (oink). Well, if you don't use it all on the falafel things, you can use it on chips :)
1/4 cup mashed avocado
2 tbsp. finely chopped tomato
1 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
1 tsp. freshly-squeezed lime juice
1/8 tsp. sea salt

2 pitas, each cut in half

Method:
1. To prepare the patties, mash the pinto beans with a fork then add the cheese and the next five ingredients (through the egg white). Stir well until combined. Form the mixture into 8 small patties and dredge in more panko. (another tip from LadyChicago - thanks!)

2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook 3-5 minutes on each side until they are nice and golden brown/heated through.

3. While the patties cook, make the spread by combining the avocado, tomato, red onion, sour cream, lime juice, and salt. Spread the avocado mixture on the inside of each pita and then place 2 patties in each half. You may want extra spread on the top of the patties.

Enjoy!

Reference:
Original recipe was from the August 2005 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Tagged!

2008-08-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

So Kayte tagged me about a gazillion years ago and I just never finished answering it.. then I was tagged again by Annie. Since the Olympics coverage is SUCKING right now (just show the damn gymnastics! Nobody really cares about anything else..! Well, maybe Phelps but you get the idea..), I figured I'd sit down and actually finish this tagged thingy this time. ;) Thank NBC and Bob Costas' crap show... (I wasn't going to watch any Olympics this year for, well to be honest, mostly political reasons, but as usual the gymnastics sucked me in! Sigh...)

Here you go:

Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

What was I doing ten years ago?

Well, let's see... I was just about to turn 21 so I can imagine I was having a good old time! Um, I was quite the little party girl in college. Who wasn't?! Please...
I was a senior in college and I worked on campus.
I can't remember yesterday so getting any more details out of me about 10 years ago would be like getting blood from a stone..! ;)

What are five (non-work) things on m to-do list for today?

I think I'll do tomorrow since today is just about over..
1. Laundry - wow! That makes for a thrilling Friday! :)
2. Get stuff for party I'm throwing on Saturday.
3. Do some more research for my MA thesis (oh joy!)
4. Clean the house.
5. Workout - I went on vacation and completely forgot the tai chi form I'd been working on... oops! ;)
Well, darn good thing I have something to look forward to on Saturday because tomorrow is not looking like much fun!
Ooh, I do have vacation photos to go through... that can be my *highlight*

Five Snacks I enjoy:

1. Fruit (seriously, I'm not just saying that to make myself look good!)
2. Hummus & pita chips
3. Guacamole - I could quite possibly live on avocados...
4. Dark chocolate (I love British and European chocolate, too - Hershey's sucks.. sorry!)
5. Cheese and crackers

Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:

This must have been where I gave up last time I tried to fill this in! lol :) I really don't have the foggiest idea what I'd do with all that money! Adopt a bunch of dogs or something daft like that...
1. Fix this crap Olympics coverage... heh, couldn't resist! I would change the channel but then, knowing me, I'd miss the only reason I have it on to begin with. And is there really anything else on? I seriously need to convince DH that we need to get BBC America ;)
2. Clean up the planet... don't ask how but I'm sure with $1B, I could think of something!
3. Buy a house closer to the coast (I know, I'm in San Diego, how much closer do I need to be?! Well, we live like 10/15 miles inland and I'd rather be walking distance from the beach... too conservative for me out here in the valleys! heh).
4. Build myself the kitchen of my dreams in that house on the coast ;)
5. Give a bunch of money to some worthy causes (environment, animal rights, human rights, education, etc)

Five Places I've lived:

1. Thornhill, Cumbria, England
2. Rancho Bernardo, California (San Diego)
3. Escondido, California (N. San Diego)
4. San Diego, California (right smack in the middle of San Diego county this time)
5. er, that's it... oh wait! I lived in Egremont, Cumbria (England) for a year when I was a very brand new baby :)

Five Jobs I've had:

1. 2nd grade teacher.
2. Student Orientation Director - when I was in college. Talk about a cushy job! :) I had a corner office!
3. I was a waitress at a really nice retirement home when I was in high school/a couple years in college.
4. Pre-kindergarten teacher.
5. "Education Specialist" - fancy title, huh? :) That's my current job. I work with students who are home-schooled through a public charter school. It's really more "guidance" than teaching since I work a lot on helping with curriculum, getting courses squared away for the high school kids, making sure everyone is on-track with state standards, stuff like that. This year, I'll also be teaching a couple enrichment classes for the K-6 kids which I'm really looking forward to! I have a horrible case of classroom withdrawals... I also (as if all that is not enough) work as a mentor teacher to new (1st- and 2nd-year) teachers at the school. That's a really fun part of my job. :)

Oops...

2008-08-08T14:38:00.001-07:00

I was tagged twice (once a LONG time ago!) and completely forgot... I'll get to it.. promise! :)
I also have an England trip review thingy coming soon! With lots of photos!

I think I seriously took almost 600 photos with my digital camera on top of 6 rolls of old school camera photos! I'll never give up film... ;)

Pita + Pesto + Portobello = Perfection

2008-08-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

No more wondering what the hell you're going to make for vegetarian friends next time you have a cookout! :) These were fantastic!
I think next time, though, I'll add some more veggies - maybe some grilled eggplant and tomato... Yum.
Just be sure to make extra - the meat-eaters may get jealous ;)

I found these recipes in the most recent (August 2008) issue of Cooking Light magazine and just made a few changes. The original recipe for the pita things called for "commercial pesto." First of all, it's one of the easiest things to make so I'd never go buy it. Second, I had two different types of pesto in the freezer. :) One was a vegan version - parsley and lemon pesto which I decided to use since I figured it would work well with the lemon rice. It did. :)
For the rice, I didn't have mustard seeds and thought that may be a bit weird anyway... I did, however, have saffron which worked wonderfully! Saffron may be the world's most expensive spice but it's worth every penny. I highly recommend keeping a jar in the pantry!
Saffron also imparts this great yellow colour which I think makes it look like totally fake FD&C coloured lemon yellow rice... lol :) It's absolutely not fake but it makes for a good conversation starter ;)

Speaking of vegan... this isn't a hard meal to convert to vegan. The only non-vegan components as it is right now are the sour cream or mayonnaise and the feta. Easy fix! You can get "Vegannaise" (seriously, that's the brand name.. I may be spelling it incorrectly but you get the idea) which you can use in place of the regular mayo or sour cream. Or, you can just spread hummus on the pitas and then throw the veggies in.
I'm also wondering what a hummus and lemon-parsley pesto combination would be like.. that could work, too! :)
Obviously, you would just leave the cheese off. While the cheese was a nice addition, I didn't think it was 100% necessary (yes, I had one sans cheese just to see). This would also make the dish lower in fat which is nice for everyone.

Here are the recipes!
Lemon-Parsley Pesto (Vegan)
This will make a bloody boat-load of pesto but it freezes rather well so make the whole thing! :)
It thaws in no time and is great on pasta, white beans, sandwiches, as a dip...

Ingredients:
4 cups loosely packed parsley leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small garlic cloves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
Pinch of sea salt

Method:
1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The volume will reduce to about 1/2 cup.
You can change the amounts to taste (salt, vinegar, lemon juice) but the predominant tastes should be the lemon and parsley.

Grilled Vegetable Pitas with Feta Cheese and Creamy Pesto
4 servings

Another photo, this time with the cheese.

Ingredients
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise, Vegannaise, or sour cream (I always use sour cream in place of mayo)
1 tbsp. lemon-parsley pesto
4 whole-wheat pitas, halved
Lettuce leaves
4 portobello mushroom caps, sliced
2 medium bell peppers, thickly sliced
1 medium red onion, thickly sliced
Cooking spray
Pinch of sea salt
Good sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Method:
1. Combine the mayo/vegannnaise or sour cream with the pesto. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Arrange the mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions on a baking sheet. Coat the veggies with cooking spray and then sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle the vinegar over the vegetables and place the baking sheet on the grill rack. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until tender.

3. Spread the pesto mixture onto each pita half and then stuff with lettuce and grilled veggies. Sprinkle crumbled feta into each pita half.

Lemon-Saffron Rice (Vegan)
4 servings

Ingredients:
Rice (long-grain or basmati)
Sea salt
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Couple pinches of saffron

1. Cook the rice according to package directions, adding saffron when you add the rice (crumble it a bit between your fingers as you add it).

2. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the lemon juice, lemon rind, and cilantro.

References:
The lemon-parsley pesto recipe is from JoyGotDots on the Nest. The grilled veggie pitas and the lemon rice are based on the "Grilled Vegetable Pitas with Goat Cheese and Pesto Mayo" and "Fresh Lemon Rice" recipes from the August 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Vegetarian Gumbo

2008-07-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

I've actually never had a *real* gumbo so I don't have anything to compare this to but I think it was really rather fantastic! I'm not even sure I can really call it a gumbo since it doesn't have okra in it... isn't that a key ingredient (or is that just a stereotype?) :)

This is a great "clean out the fridge" or "use up your CSA basket" recipe. It's full of wonderful veggies and is an easy one for you to substitute whatever you have.

I served mine over a bed of quinoa (told you I qualify for that Level 7 Vegan even though I'm not even vegan... lol) but I'm having the leftovers over rice tomorrow for lunch! Yum! :)

I highly recommend letting this sit and simmer for an hour (original recipe said 40 minutes). This will allow the carrots to become tender and will really let the great cumin-paprika-cayenne flavours to really meld together even more! It takes a while, but once you have everything chopped up and in the pan it's not a lot of work.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/6 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes, juice included, diced
1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup parsnip, diced
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tbsp. paprika
1/2 tbsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups vegetable broth (or water)

Method:
1. Stir together the oil and flour in a Dutch oven until smooth. Cook over high heat until the roux becomes a dark caramel colour (think a nice chocolate brown), stirring constantly.

2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and cook 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Stir in all the remaining ingredients and the veggie broth (or water). Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes-1 hour, or until the carrots are tender.

Reference:
Based on the Vegetarian Gumbo recipe from the May 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine. The only changes I made were to use broccoli and zucchini in place of the okra. I also used vegetable broth in place of the water.

Raspberry Smoothie

2008-07-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

I wish I'd realised I had this smoothie book while I was on antibiotics a couple weeks ago! I was really hoping for some more adventurous ways to eat yogurt... these would have been great! Oh well... :)

I had to have some dental work done today (just a bit of a follow-up to a root canal I had last week - hence the antibiotics) so I figured that was as good an excuse as any to reward myself with a smoothie! Well, I got home around 11 and was starving but still numb. This was a nice way to tide me over until I could eat something a bit more substantial.

Makes 2 small smoothies

Ingredients:
1 cup low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 cup frozen raspberries
3/4 cup frozen strawberries

Method:
Place all the ingredients in the blender and pulse until smooth/most of the chunks have been broken up. Serve immediately.

Reference:
Based on the Raspberry Cream recipe from the book Smoothies and Ice Treats by Lindsay Barnes and Any Shawgo.

Black Bean-Quinoa Pilaf

2008-07-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

This was so basic and easy (not to mention fast!) but so tasty!

The original recipe that I worked from actually called for chickpeas to go with the quinoa but I decided black beans would be great. Besides, I had half a can of black beans that needed to be used. ;) I also added a little cilantro which was fantastic.

Here's another funny quote from Veganomicon:
"Don't forget that cooking with quinoa at least once a week will elevate you to Level 7 Vegan in no time!" Heh... I'm not even vegan but I think I qualify for that. ;) In my opinion, quinoa is quite possibly the world's most perfect food. Well, after avocado, of course!

This could be used as a side dish alongside just about whatever (and not just vegetarian stuff). I just had mine with a side of broccoli, sweet corn, and some chopped bell peppers that I just steamed together.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tbsp. ground coriander seeds
Several pinches freshly ground black pepper
A little sea salt
1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup (1/2 of a 15-ounce can) of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup vegetable broth
2-4 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Method:
1. Saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat in a small stockpot until softened. Add the garlic and saute about 2 more minutes.

2. Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Saute about 1 more minute.

3. Add the quinoa and saute for 2 minutes.

4. Add the beans and broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to very low. Add the cilantro, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. Stir occasionally during this phase.

Reference:
Based on the Chickpea-Quinoa Pilaf recipe from the book Veganomicon.

London Calling...

2008-07-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

..."Yeah, I was there, too..."
well, I will be in a week and a bit! woo hoo! :)

And, yes, I am a massive fan of The Clash... I actually believe they strip you of your British citizenship if you say you're not... lol ;) Same with the Beatles, Queen, the Stones, you know, all those other iconic English bands... (*sigh*... new music sucks!)
OK, so maybe in the case of bands like The Clash and The Sex Pistols, the government actually likes you better if you say you don't like them! heh... However, I will argue that dissent is the highest form of patriotism, so... ;)
Just don't let on to the Queen if you don't care for Sir Paul!

So, back to the point of this blog post! ;) Check out these other fabulous things I found to do while we're in the motherland! lol... (couldn't resist)

First, I should probably tell you where we'll be. DH has never been and I haven't been back in 11 years (homesick much..?) so we are doing a bit of the touristy stuff and trying to see a bit more of the country than I normally would.
*We're starting out with 3 nights in London (I'm not a city person so any longer and I think I'd probably implode). I have not been to London since 1986 (when my dad ran the London Marathon) so it's been a while! Think it's changed much? lol :)
*After London, we're heading to Bath which is one of my favourite places on the planet. We're having 2 nights there.
*Next stop, Caernarfon (don't worry, I can't pronounce that either!) which is a lovely little coastal town in North Wales. Just one night there (I wasn't kidding about *little* town...)
*After that, it's up to York for 2 nights. York is just so bloody lovely. No trip to England is complete without a stop in York.
*Finally, we'll be spending the last week and a half in the Lake District which is my home. :) You think a trip to England is not complete without a stop in York... well, it's even less complete if you don't get to go up to the Lakes! ;) No, not biased... it really is a gorgeous area and full of history (um, the whole country is..) Plus, it's right on the Scottish border so you can have a quick hop up there while you're at it!
We're staying in bed and breakfasts (which is really the way to do it if you go to the UK) in London, Bath, Caernarfon, and York. In the Lakes (since there will be quite a few of us), we've actually rented a house which will be great!

No, I will not be driving..! lol :)

Here are my finds:
**London:
Well, it's basically all the obvious stuff... however, some *not so obvious* things on my must-do list are the Tate to Tate Cruise on the Thames (that would be pronounced Tems, not Thaymes...! heh) which goes between really great museums and also makes stops at the London Eye and the Tower.
There is a restaurant called the Wapping Project which I'd like to check out. For whatever reason, eating dinner in a converted power station is strangely enticing to me...
Get really lost on the Tube... (actually, I love the Tube! And it's really hard to get lost on it... great, just jinxed that!)
Oh, and a trip to London without going to Harrod's is absolutely out of the question! ;)

**Bath:
Oh my gosh! So, I was reading more about the glass-blowing thing (I did post about that in my vacation post below, right?) and found they have this thing where you can blow glass with Mr. Darcy! lol :) How funny... great idea for a bachelorette party or a girls' night out!
Yes, I was very tempted to make a dirty comment about that blowing glass with Mr. Darcy sentence but I'll leave that to your imaginations... ;)
There is a museum of costume in Bath - a fashion museum! How fun! :) I'm not, by any means, into fashion but I do love the history of it so that's on the list!

**Caernarfon:
So the big pull of Caernarfon is the castle. It's a great castle that's still in very good condition. It's also the place where the Prince of Wales is crowned. Read: Tourist Trap but whatever... :) Should be worth a look around.
Caernarfon is also in the Snowdonia National Park. Excuse my ignorance on this, but Mount Snowdon is something like the tallest peak in Great Britain... oh bugger! Now I have to look that up :) OK, well, I was *almost* correct - it's the highest peak in Wales and the highest in Britain south of the Scottish Highlands.
Figured I'd enlighten you all with that piece of useless information... You'll thank me if you're ever on Jeopardy!

**York:
So there's obviously the stuff like York Minster but here's the other goodies I found...
Jorvik - it's a viking centre! I'm pretty darn sure I have quite a bit of viking running through my veins so this is on my list for sure!
The York Brewery Tour. I won't deny the fact that I love my beer! :) Well, look where I'm from! I think beer makes up the remainder of what's in my veins..
They have a river cruise I'd like to take as well as a walking tour through all these haunted places in York. Yorkshire is known as one of the most haunted areas of England so that should be, um, chilling! :)
Oh! And the golden nugget of my York research - I found this York Pass thingy that gives free or reduced admissions to a ton of attractions. Obviously you pay up front for it but it pays for itself in no time!

**The Lakes:
Um, yeah, I'm just excited about going home for the first time in 11 bloody years! There are some touristy things we definitely have to do but it will be mostly about catching up with family and my best friend who I haven't seen in, you guessed it, 11 bloody years!

And, for your listening pleasure, here you go ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqO1b-5RsAs

Yes, I realise the song is maybe just a bit *anti-London* but whatever... it was the punk/anarchy era! What do you expect?!
And I can still use it in my post about being excited about going to London! So there... heh :)

"I never felt so much a' like..."
(so that's what he says at the end... lol)

Jealous yet? :)

Strawberry-Orange Smoothie

2008-07-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

In my quest to use up stuff from the kitchen, I have rediscovered the joy of smoothies! :)
Part of this was cleaning up my cookbook shelf and finding a smoothie book I forgot we had!

This one was fantastic!

Makes 1 1/2 high-ball sized smoothies
(no idea how else to measure that! I'd say it was enough for 2)

Ingredients:
1 cup non-fat or low-fat vanilla yogurt (you could use soy vanilla yogurt to make this vegan)
1 ripe banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
4 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate

Method:
Stick all that in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses. Enjoy.

I'm dying to try this with some frozen raspberries or blueberries in place of the strawberries. Or, how good does a triple berry smoothie sound? Yum! :)
Ooh, and how about adding something fun like a splash of rum, vodka, gin, or tequila? ;) Hey, I'm on summer break, I can play! ;)

Reference:
"Super Healthy Shake" from the book Smoothies and Ice Treats by Lindsay Barnes and Amy Shawgo.

Going Green!

2008-07-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

Heaven-on-a-plate... seriously!
(Unfortunately my blurry photo does not do it justice... still trying to figure out a new camera!)

Meatless pasta dishes like this were a gateway drug for me transitioning from sort of omnivore (chicken and fish) to pretty much full-time vegetarian! heh...
Once I get back from England, I'm giving up fish, too. I just have to have my last decent plate of fish and chips and then I can completely cross over to the dark side. ;)
Hubby actually predicted today that I'll be vegan in the next couple years. I doubt it - I just love cheese way too much! And I just don't know what I'd do if I was denied my Cherry Garcia! ;) I do love vegan cooking and baking (in case that isn't obvious) but I'm not sure I could go full-time vegan.

This has a really wonderful *kick* to it from all the garlic and the little sprinkle of red pepper flakes. I am a huge garlic fan but if you're not, you can always cut back a little! I highly recommend leaving all the cloves in, though...
The wine and lime flavours also shine through - don't worry, the garlic is not so much that it over-powers them. I used spinach in place of arugula (trying to use up what we have) but any green leafies will be good in this dish.

My favourite thing about this dish, though, is how healthy it is even though it seems so sinfully delicious! :)
Let's see... we've got calcium in the spinach (not to mention iron, beta-carotene, and fibre!); all the wonderful omega fatty acids in the avocado; the antioxidants and cholesterol-lowering powers of the garlic; and the calcium, vitamin A, and cancer-fighting properties of broccoli.
Dang! Give this dish a cape and some tights - it's a super-hero! :)

Here's the recipe so you can experience it for yourself!

Pasta Della California
(yes, I was singing "California Dreaming" the entire time I was making this... and then for whatever reason, as I was eating it morphed into "Hotel California"... shut up!)
I just have to share this great quote about this recipe from the book Veganomicon. It's too wonderful not to...
"If we said in the title that this was pasta with avocado no one would take us seriously, so instead we call it Pasta Della California. Anything with avocado in it can be called 'California,' right?"
Since I live in California, pasta with avocado is absolutely not unheard of but the whole "oh, it has avocado! Let's call it California!" bit killed me... it's so true...

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/4 pound spaghetti, linguine, or angel-hair pasta
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic
A bit of grated lime zest (use an organic lime so you don't end up with *poison pasta*!) - I used the zest of about half a lime
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
1/8 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
A good bit of freshly-ground black pepper
2 cups chopped, loosely-packed spinach (or arugula)
1 avocado, sliced and cut into chunks

Method:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prep all your other ingredients while the water boils (this cooks so quickly!) Once the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. When there is about 3 minutes left on the pasta, add the broccoli and cook with the pasta.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, lime zest, and red pepper flakes. Gently heat, stirring often, for about 2 minutes (watch it - be careful the garlic does not burn!)

3. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil so the wine reduces (2 minutes or so). Add the broth, lime juice, salt, and pepper, and bring back to a boil. Once the sauce is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Add the arugula or spinach.

4. Remember to add that broccoli to the pasta! :)
Once the pasta and broccoli are done, drain them both in a colander.

5. When the arugula/spinach is wilted, add the broccoli and pasta to the skillet. Use a pasta spoon to toss it around and make sure everything gets covered in the garlicy goodness! Cook about 3 minutes longer, stirring often. Add the avocado and turn off the heat. Gently toss the avocado in with the pasta and veggies, being careful not to squash it.

6. Serve with a couple good grinds of black pepper. Spoon the leftover garlic sauce over the bowls of pasta.

Reference:
Pasta Della California from the book Veganomicon.

Menu - July 6-11

2008-07-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted one of these in a while ;)

Here's my *trying to use up all the stuff we have in the house before we leave the country* menu for this week:

Sunday - Pasta della California; Hubby had leftovers (don't pity him! It was what he wanted...)

Monday - Black Bean and Quinoa Pilaf; Margarita Salmon for DH.

Tuesday - Vegetarian *Gumbo* (well, not really gumbo since I don't have okra...); Hubby will have either a burger, roasted potatoes and a salad or spicy Tex-Mex chicken.

Wednesday - Lemon Pasta for me (yum!); Some sort of pork chop for hubby. Any ideas? I've only ever made Giada's Parmesan pork chops for him! I'm extremely pork-illiterate since I never really ate it even before I went veg...

Thursday - Lentil-Cauliflower Curry; Chicken with Jack Daniel's (home-made!) BBQ sauce.

Friday - Spaghetti! I'll have home-made marinara; hubby will have the marinara with some seasoned ground beef and Italian sausage mixed in.

Saturday - um, haven't gotten this far yet ;) We have a birthday party at the beach to go to in the morning (lunchtime-ish) so we'll take some stuff to grill. No idea what's for dinner yet... I'll figure that out as the week goes on.

Have a delicious week!

Orzo and White Beans

2008-07-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

This is a great bean and pasta dish with a yummy vegan pesto! I highly suggest making extra pesto and freezing it - you'll never miss the cheese.
I added extra veggies to this but never wrote them down (and didn't take a photo) and I've since forgotten what I added... I'm pretty sure it was a little petite peas and maybe some broccoli. Any vegetables you have on-hand would be a good addition.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 cup orzo pasta
1/2 can white beans (I ended up using garbanzo beans)
2 cups loosely packed parsley leaves
1/8 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp. sea salt

Method:
1. Drain and rinse the beans but leave them in the colander. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

2. To make the pesto, place the parsley, olive oil, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice, lemon peel, balsamic vinegar, and salt in the food processor. Pulse until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed. Add extra lemon juice, salt, or vinegar as needed.

3. When the orzo is cooked, pour it into the colander over the beans. Return the pasta and beans to the pan and add the pesto. Add extra lemon juice if desired.

Reference:
This was posted by JoyGotDots on the Nest. She adapted it from a recipe by Lorna Sass.

Vacation All I Ever Wanted...

2008-07-04T08:53:00.001-07:00

*Great, now that bloody song will be in my head all weekend...*

In just 11 days, we'll be on a plane to England! I am so beyond excited, you have no idea! :)
For those who don't know, I actually grew up in England (The Lake District) and lived there the first 13 years of my life. Yes, that means I've lived in San Diego quite a bit longer than that but I'm still a British citizen (and don't plan on giving that up!)

Anyway, I'm sitting here doing some holiday research and just found this really great deal in Bath. As you know, Bath is home to the historic Roman bath houses. Well, there is a thing you can do where you have a 2-hour session at the Thermae Bath Spa, a ticket to tour the Roman Baths, and a 3-course lunch at the Pump House restaurant. It's only 55 pounds per person which is about $100-$110. Might sound pricey but everything in Europe is pricey! I think that's a really good deal, and really, when the hell will we ever have the opportunity to do that again? :)
Hopefully hubby will go for it...

Wonder if he'll also go for a trip through the Jane Austen Centre with me... lol ;) Right... Might be doing that one alone..!

More on my trip later... I just got so silly excited about that spa deal that I had to share! :)