Ginger Seame Tofu

This recipe is from vegweb.. It was very very tasty!

I used frozen & thawed tofu, and my liquid sweetener was maple syrup. I highly recommend trying this recipe.. and add some stir-fry veggies to it!

It's Farmers Market Season!

It's my favorite time of year! The park is full of people, little shops, and lots of local food. I love summertime!

Yesterday, we headed to downtown Salt Lake, and shopped for some fresh veggies. We got lots of yummy goods- summer squash, green beans, tomatoes, beets, basil, and yummy local mushrooms..


The mushrooms on the top are "Hen of the Valley" and the ones on the bottom are baby Shiitake. The lady at the stand said the Hen of the Valley tastes great in a risotto, so that is what we made last night. Mushroom and Pine Nut Risotto, and steamed green beans and beets.


The flavor of the mushroom was very delicate, not overpowering at all, and it had a very meat-like texture to it. The beets were sooo sweet, it was my favorite part of the meal, and the green beans were OK.. but I wish I would have roasted them instead. I have some left over though, so I will next time.

I want to have at least one local meal a week, if not more. Now that there are fresh veggies in season, it will be a lot easier to. Yay for summer!

Black Bean Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries

Wow... I am one busy mama! I enrolled in summer school.. and it feels like I am going more than full time, sometimes! I guess I am averaging one post a month.. so, I apologize to my readers! It's not that I haven't been cooking.. I have.. I just keep forgetting to take a photo and post it!

Anyway.. Tonight I made the Black Bean burgers from Veganomicon... and I loved them! Really, these are so easy, tasty, and perfect for a summer time meal. I highly recommend them :)

On the side, I made some baked sweet potato fries, which are always a treat (and so good for you!).

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Enchilada Pie

Here is a casserole recipe we created on a whim a few weeks ago, and I am just now getting it up on my blog! I wanted to make some sort of lasagna, but then also wanted Mexican food.. so I created this with a Mexican Lasagna in mind, but it turned out to be more of a casserole or pie. This is incredibly filling, and very good. We served it to a large group of my hubby's friends, and everyone loved it.

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 can black beans, drained
  
• 1 package soft tofu, crumbled
  
• corn tortillas
• sliced olives
• diced onion
• enchilada sauce
• diced red pepper

Directions: Peel sweet potato, and dice. Brush potatoes with olive oil and bake in the oven on 400 until soft. Meanwhile, saute onion in olive oil, then add the black beans. When the potatoes are cooked, mix them with the black beans. Line the bottom layer of a 8x8 glass dish with tortillas. Add a layer of bean/potato mix, top with tortillas. The next layer add the crumbled tofu, then top with a layer of tortillas. Top that with the beans/potatoes, and another layer of tortillas. Then cover completely, liberally, with enchilada sauce, and top with olives and diced peppers.

Baked Potatoes Au Gratin

I haven't contributed a recipe on my blog in a long time.. this is a recipe that I created when I was really pregnant and wanting some comfort food loaded with carbs. I submitted this recipe on www.vegweb.com a while ago, before I started this blog. It hasn't gotten a lot of reviews, so if you try this, please give me your feedback there if you can!

Recipe:
4-5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (or your favorite)
2/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups plain soy milk
1 tablespoon flour
vegan bacon bits
French fried onions (French's is vegan)
vegan butter
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Slice potatoes and place them in a casserole dish, top with butter.

In a separate bowl, whisk flour, yeast and soymilk and pour onto potatoes.

Top with vegan bacon bits and fried onions.

Cover and bake for about an hour, until the top is browned and potatoes are cooked.

Top with more vegan bacon bits and fried onions.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes or less

I always like to serve these with green beans on the side.

The Lost Ones

Here are a couple lost photos of things we've had this last month. I am trying to catch up on my blog posts that I haven't had the time to do, so here are a couple of lost ones:

Gluten Free Pesto Lasagna:

Pretty much very basic.. I took gluten free lasagna noodles and made it with my favorite pesto recipe, topped with FYH mozzarella. This was super good (although I'm not sure if FYH is gluten free)


Mother's Day Breakfast: Blueberry waffles, soy-sauges and potato scramble.

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!

Last weekend was my son's first birthday! I cannot believe how quickly time goes by... how fast they grow! We had his party on a perfect weather weekend, at our favorite park in Salt Lake. I made chocholate and vanilla cupcakes from VCTOTW, and we just had finger foods to go with them. I made 3 dozen cupcakes, because that is how much my new cupcake carrier holds, and that was barely enough! See the pics below :)

My new cupcake carrier

3 dozen cupcakes

My sweet boy just realized everyone was signing to him!

Instead of taking the cupcake out of my hands, he decided to just dive right in!

Enjoying his very own cupcake

He got a little messy, and it was so much fun watching him eat that thing. I'm not the kind of mom that doesn't let my child eat sweets. I love sweets, why shouldn't he? He is, afterall, a child. And nothing is sweeter than his mama's milk! So it was not his first time eating a cupcake, but it is the first time I've let him feed himself a cupcake out of the sheer messiness of it!

I also love that new cupcake carrier. I saw it on HSN online, but bought it on Amazon for the free shipping. I will be using it for many, many birthdays, holidays, and every other occasion I can make an excuse to bake yummy treats!

Ethiopian food in Las Vegas

Our last stop on our way home from California was back in Las Vegas for the night. I found a little Ethiopian restaurant, Cottage Cafe, for us to try. We were even able to talk my mother-in-law and her friend into trying it out with us (they are often skeptical of what crazy foods we'll make them try next!). They were reluctant to join us, but were glad they did! I told them that eating Ethiopian food isn't just eating. It's an experience- one to share with your friends and family. On top of that, it's super cheap.

This cafe was empty when we got there, and isn't too pretty. Our waitress didn't speak English, and there were holes in the table cloths. But, the food made up for it, and the price was worth every penny. We ordered the vegetarian combo plus one other dish (I forget which one.. but it was the one that was not included with the combo), to split between the 4 of us. There was plenty of food, and we even had leftovers.. all for about $22! You can't beat that anywhere!

Oh, and by the way.. we stopped at Ronald's donuts on our way out the next morning, and stocked up on donuts for the ride home! I wish we had one of those here!

Vegan in West L.A.

On our way out of Los Angeles, I really wanted some pancakes. I was jealous of our travel-mate that went and got pancakes in the cafe below our hotel, so I researched a bit online to try to find a place were we could get some too. I found a place called The Vegan Joint in West L.A. where we could stop on our way out of town.

Finding it was really easy, just off the freeway, and on a nice little corner-street. I got what I came for- pancakes with tofu scramble, called "Cowgirl Pankcakes". Hubby was overwhelmed with all the options so he ordered pancakes, fresh spring rolls, and Pad Thai. My mother-in-law got some chicken pancakes- with fried chicken that was some of the best fake chicken I've tried. And our other travel mate that ate before we left really regretted eating so much because it was all so tasty!

Pad Thai

Chicken Pancakes

Cowgirl Pancakes

Vegan in Santa Monica

Eating vegan in Southern California is easier than any other place I've been. There were a few options within walking distance from our hotel in Santa Monica. The first one I wanted to try was Juliano's Planet Raw Cafe. I read an article in Men's Journal about Woody Harrelson, he and the interviewer went to this cafe, so I thought it would be cool to try. I liked that they mentioned something about eating desert first, and I am always curious about raw vegan food, but don't really plan on eating a raw diet at this point in my life.

I really loved the deserts here, and if I lived in this area I'd come back for them often. But the price tag was crazy-expensive! Oh, and there is also honey in some of the desserts.. and some of them are with agave nectar, so be sure to ask.

Click on the photo below for photos of our food:


That same evening hubby and I got to go out to dinner by ourselves! We choose another restaurant within walking distance called Real Food Daily. I loved this place! It was very crowded and not very big, but the food was awesome. I ordered the soup of the day, Leek and Chickpea, the TV Dinner Meal- tempeh loaf with mashed potatoes, gravy, and veggies, and Tirimisu for desert.

Click on the photo below for photos of our food:

Vegan on Catalina Island

Vegan dining on Catalina Island was much harder than I anticipated. You'd think that a hip little California town would be more veg-friendly, as they almost always are. Yet that is not the case when it comes to this island.

I did my research ahead of time to try to find a nice place to eat for our first and only night there. I found Ristorante Villa Portofino
which isn't vegetarian, but I figured since the Chef also works for Vegetarian Times that the place should at least be veg-friendly. Well, I was wrong, as everything we ordered came back with cheese on it, even though we ordered everything without cheese. I'm not sure if that was just the fault of our terrible waiter, or the restaurant itself. The menu item we ordered, the Funghi Portobello, also looked like it should be vegan as well. And did you look at that price? $17.00 for the dish you see below! Hubby and I shared it.

The next day we hung out at the Casino, where all the Scuba diving happens. We stopped at a little beach side burger place to see if they had anything, and surprisingly they had a few veggie items on the menu. Their beans are lard-free and cooked fresh everyday. We ordered a plate of nachos- minus the cheese and sour cream, and a veggie sandwich- minus the mayo. It was all tasty, and satisfying for what it was.



So, if you are planning a trip to Catalina, you can get by as a vegan. There are plenty of pizza places you can order a veggie cheeseless pizza, but there is not much else. I'm sure we'll be going back someday, since hubby is an avid scuba diver, and next time maybe there will be something vegan at the Mediterranean spot we saw on our way out.

Vegan Donuts in Las Vegas

On our way to California, I had to make a stop at Ronald's Donuts... it was so worth the trip! These donuts are not healthy. But, they are vegan. I started out with a vegan cream filled/chocolate covered that was my favorite of all the ones I tried. I didn't choose all the donuts in our box, if I would have there would be less apple filled ones (not much of an apple filling fan).


The top two shelves in the shop are all vegan. The bottom shelve is not, but all of those are the cake-type. There is every flavor you can imagine; glazed, sugared, bear claws, cinnamon twists, maple bars, jelly filled....


I've never tried the other ones that vegans rave about.. but these are the real deal!

Almost Raw "Almond Joy" Tasting Bars

I got a pound of dried dates from my co-op and had no idea what to do with them. After a small amount of research, I found out that they make good raw food bars. So, I created these tasty, and rich ones that ended up tasting just like almond joy candy bars.. only vegan... and healthy.

1 lb dried dates
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 Tbs Cocoa powder

In a food processor combine all ingredients until everything starts to stick together looks like dough. Press into a bread pan, and chill in the fridge to set.

I love that these are so sweet, but with no added sugar. These are sure to impress your whole family, and are super easy to make!


----

By the way, we are leaving for vacation to Southern California all this week. Hopefully I'll be able to find some yummy veggie restaurants to showcase on my blog. I know it's been a while since my last post, but now that school is out things should be back to normal!

A Little of This, a Little of That

I've been saving up a few Veganomicon recipes for one post. So here they are, starting with Penne Vodka:

I couldn't wait to try this recipe. I had my husband pick up some vodka from the liquor store, I almost bought an immersion blender just for the occasion. And while it was very good, I really had my hopes up too much. Maybe I used too many pasta noodles. . Whatever it was, I will likely not be repeating this recipe again... at least until I've tried more recipes from this cookbook. Please don't get me wrong, this wasn't awful, but just a little bit bland or something.

Next up, is the Pasta E Fagoli:


I used canned tomatoes, and probably too many noodles. But I think what it comes down to, is I don't really like beans and pasta together. I'll try it again, but like above, not for a while.

And last but not least, Leek & Bean Cassoulet.


This, my friends, is some perfect comfort food. I ate so much of this, because I didn't want to stop eating it, my belly was so full for hours. It reminded me a little of pot pie, but less labor intensive (though it really is labor intensive). The bisquits were even a little bit undercooked, but that didn't stop me from loving this recipe!

And, I secretly am trying to figure out who to invite over for dinner so I have an excuse to make it again!

Easter Cupcakes

I finally got around to making cupcakes from VCTOTW.. just plain vanilla and chocolate. Yum! I got some natural food dye, and the blue color ended up purple-ish pink. Bummer! The yellow is great though.

Runner Up Winner

If you remember way back last October when I made Roast Fig Pilaf, and told you I was going to submit it to a contest? Well, I got one of 50 runner ups. Which is pretty cool. I didn't expect too much from entering, so I was happily surprised when I checked my email!

http://www.veganfusion.com/call-for-entries2.php

Go Veg Essay

I thought an appropriate place for this essay that I wrote would be on my blog. School essays are a great place to research and write convincing papers and articles on the benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet. I take every opportunity I can to educate people on vegetarianism, esspecially in a non-confrontational way.

My essay below was written for my English class last semester. It barely touches on the aspects of a vegetarian diet, because of length restrictions. We all know that we could write 1000 page novels on the subject!

We live in a time where obesity rates are soaring, heart disease related deaths are climbing, and global warming concerns are on the nightly news. Meat-consumption related deaths are probably the single most preventable diseases, comparable to or above tobacco related deaths. We certainly would not give our children cigarettes, why would we feed them meat? Adopting a vegetarian diet is an ethical decision that is beneficial to both your health and the environment.

Adopting a vegetarian diet is an easy and healthy way to lose weight without much effort to the dieter, according to the article, “Lightening the Load.” In an April 2007 edition of Nutrition Review, studies were conducted to see how a vegetarian diet affected weight control and weight loss. They found that a vegetarian who consumes no animal products (vegans) do not have to portion control, and burn more calories than non-vegetarians. A vegetarian diet works because they “are filling, but low in calories.” Plant-based foods are also “used more efficiently as fuel for the body, as opposed to being stored as fat” (Lightening the Load). Vegetarianism is an easy diet to adopt, and many traditional foods can be adapted to a vegetarian meal.

Some people believe that eating fish is healthy for you, so they think vegetarians should also eat fish in order to get protein and essential fatty acids. First of all, vegetarians do not consume any animal, including fish, and second, the mercury levels in certain fish are so high, doctors warn pregnant mothers not to eat too much of it in order not to harm the fetus by high mercury levels. According to Dr. Neal Barnard, “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that women who ate fish just twice a week had blood mercury levels that were seven times higher than those of women who did not eat fish. A woman who eats just one can of tuna per week will be 30 percent over the EPA cutoff for safe mercury levels” (Barnard, 4). As for fatty acids, flax, hemp seeds and walnuts are a few of the many sources of omega-3s. Fish is also high in fat and cholesterol, which further makes it an unhealthy choice (Essential Fatty Acids). And finally, the oceans are being over-fished and are destroying the ecosystems of ocean life. The world's fisheries continue to be heavily subsidized, which encourages over fishing, and factory-farmed fish are a breading ground for disease (Hilborn).

A vegetarian diet can prevent many other diseases and cancers. Some of these include, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, obesity, colon cancer, and vegetarians have stronger immune systems than meat-eaters (Campbell).

“How do you get your protein?” That is the questions most people ask when told someone is a vegetarian. “As long as the diet contains a variety of grains, legumes, and vegetables, protein needs are easily met” (The Protein Myth). The typical American diet is actually double the daily requirement of protein. Studies also show that excess protein is actually harmful, not healthful, to the body and fad diets like the Atkins Diet is extremely unhealthy and unwise (The Protein Myth).

Even pregnant vegetarians can grow another human being solely on plant-based foods. I, for example, had a vegetarian pregnancy from conception, and gave birth to a perfectly healthy, full term baby. Protein requirements for pregnant and breastfeeding women are more than the daily recommended value, but adding an extra peanut butter sandwich or a glass of fortified soymilk every day will provide the extra protein intake needed for pregnancy and lactation (The Protein Myth).

A vegetarian diet also has an effect on our environment. Global warming is an issue of growing concern, yet most environmental groups do not advocate the most effective way to reduce greenhouse gasses, by adopting a vegetarian diet, according to the article, “A New Global Warming Strategy,” by Noam Mohr. Environmental groups are only focusing on CO2 emissions from vehicles and factories. According to James Hansen, “CO2 emissions are not the main cause of observed atmospheric warming” (Mohr). CO2 does not have near the impact on global warming that the public is lead to believe. That is not to say we can continue emitting excessive CO2, because it still has in impact. However, the best strategy to overcome and slow global warming is to adopt a vegetarian diet. Methane produces more greenhouse gasses than any other sources put together, and animal agriculture is responsible for the majority of methane released into the atmosphere. Methane emissions cause almost half of human caused warming, and growing animals for food “produces more than 100 million tons of methane a year” (Mohr). By eliminating animal consumption, “we can eliminate one of the major sources of emissions of methane” (Mohr). Reducing methane would be easier than reducing CO2, and would have less of an impact on our economy.

Raising meat for food also has devastating effects on the rainforest. In South America, in countries like Brazil, the rainforest is being slashed and burned every day in order to make grazing grounds for cattle. Scientists say destruction of the Amazon is a problem that should concern us all because Amazon deforestation contributes significantly to global warming. There are 60 million head of cattle in the Brazilian Amazon, the largest herd of any country in the world. About 40 percent of the Brazilian Amazon is protected in some way, yet 40 percent is not nearly enough to sustain the fragile hydrological cycle that maintains the rain forest. Most of the beef exports go to Europe, however, there is still a strong demand in America for imported beef (Tangley).

Many people are overwhelmed and feel helpless at the thought of stopping global warming. It would be a lot simpler for them switch to a vegetarian diet, than to stop driving, take on big corporations, and change government policy. The easiest thing that everyone can do is to eliminate animal consumption in their diets, and other animal products. Mohr suggests that environmental groups should encourage a vegetarian diet, and the government should advocate vegetarianism through public education and stopping farm subsidies for animal agriculture.
In the book, “Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating,” the author, Erik Marcus, explains how the dairy and beef industry is treating cows inhumanely for the purpose raising them for food and milk. Cows naturally live to be about 25 years old, but according to Marcus, they are only allowed to live until they are 5 years old, assuming they are not male calves on their way to the slaughterhouse at only 16 weeks of age. The dairy cow is kept pregnant through her whole reproductive life, and right after she gives birth to her baby, the calve is taken, without even being allowed to suckle the milk from her. The newborn calve and the mother experience great sorrow and separation anxiety, and just a few months later, she is artificially inseminated with another pregnancy, without even fully recovering from the previous. This is all done in order to maintain her milk supply. The young calve, that is destined for veal, is then forced to stand in a small crate, is given an iron-depleted diet and is not allowed to exercise, thus being “forced into anemia” as a way to make the meat the white-pinkish color that is desired (Marcus, 130). Beef cattle also experience much abuse during their lives. “There are three major traumas inflicted on young cattle: branding, dehorning, and for males, castrating” (Marcus, 132).

Animals do feel pain. We don’t treat our dogs and cats with violence and let them live a life of torture and fear, why would we think that pigs, chickens, fish and cows do not feel the same as cats and dogs? Pigs are smarter, and every bit as friendly, loyal, and affectionate as dogs (Broom, 12).

Adopting a vegetarian diet, is not only healthy for our bodies and our planet, it is also an ethical decision to protest the mistreatment of animals raised for meat. The time has come for every person to do their part to save our youth from a lifetime of sickness and obesity, to do our part to stop the pollution and curb global warming, and be compassionate by not harming innocent animals for our taste buds. There are several reasons to not want to participate in the meat industry, and as they say “your dollar is your vote.”

Annotated Bibliography
Barnard, Neal. "Isn't Fish a Health Food?" Vegetarian Starter Kit: 4.
Many reasons and resources for a adopting a vegetarian lifestyle. Includes recipes and expert advice.

Broom, Donald. "Amazing Animals: Pigs" Vegetarian Starter Kit: 12.
Many reasons and resources for a adopting a vegetarian lifestyle. Includes recipes and expert advice.

Campbell, T. Colin, and Thomas M. Campbell. The China Study. Dallas: Benbella Books, 2006.
The most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight loss, and long-term health.

"Essential Fatty Acids." Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. 24 Nov. 2007 .
A credible website of studies by physicians that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research.

Hilborn, Ray, Trevor A. Branch, , Billy Ernst, , Arni Magnusson, Carolina V. Minte-Vera, Mark D. Scheuerell, and Juan L. Valero. "State of the World’s Fisheries." Annual Review of Environment and Resources 28 (2003): 359-399. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 24 Nov. 2007. Keyword: Fisheries.
Annual journal about the conditions of the world's fisheries.

"Lightening the Load." Good Medicine 15.2 (Spring 2006): 14-15. EBSCO. 12 November 2007.
An article about weight loss through a vegetarian diet.
Marcus, Erik. Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating. 2nd ed. Ithaca, NY: McBooks Publishing, 2001. 125-137.
A book about how you eat and it’s affects on your health, the environment and animals.

Mohr, Noam. "EarthSave Report: A New Global Warming Strategy." EarthSave. 8 Nov. 2007. .
An article about how the meat industry effects the environment and contributes to global warming.

Tangley, Laura. "AMAZONIADRYING." National Wildlife 44 (2006). Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 24 Nov. 2007.
This article presents information about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

"The Protein Myth." Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. 24 Nov. 2007 .
A credible website of studies by physicians that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research.

Vcon Basil-Cilantro Pesto

I made this wonder Vcon pasta dish a couple nights ago when we had company over for dinner. It was quick, easy, and super tasty. If you haven't tried this recipe from Veganomicon yet, I highly recommend it!

I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by Carrie!

Here's how it works...I tell you 5 things about myself, then tag 5 other people via their blog. Sounds fun, right?? Here goes:

1. I am a certified open water scuba diver.
2. I had an all natural birth, and I induced myself with castor oil, one week overdue!
3. I don't have a favorite color. I always say my favorite color is rainbow.
4. I aspire to be a La Leche League Leader, a certified lactation consultant and a doula!
5. I dropped out of high school when I was 18 and got my GED when I was 24. I was a straight A student when I dropped out.

I am tagging....
Vegan_noodle
Veggie Way
Vegan Dad
Joy(ously Alive)
Vegan.Chicks.Rock


Rules:
Link to your tagger and post these rules.
Share 5 facts about yourself.
Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Fashionably Late- Chickpea Cutlets

Yeah, so all of my fellow bloggers have already been there, done that, with this recipe.. so I had to see what all the fuss was about..... finally.

I made the Chickpea Cutlets from Vcon, with saute'd spinach & arugula topped with Vcon Mustard Sauce minus the capers. I didn't have a couple of the spices this recipe called for, but oh well. I'll try to remember to restock my spice rack next grocery outing.

My husband LOVED these. He said it kind of reminded him of Burger King chicken sandwiches. Of course, It's been about 16 or so years since he has anything remotely close to a real chicken sandwich. I did end up making mine into a sandwich, because they just weren't cutting it for me. As a simple sandwich with veganaise, Dijon mustard and some sort of leafy green.. i liked it much, much more.

Anyway, I'm glad I finally tried it out. The recipe looked pretty intimidating, but really was pretty easy. And, because I finally got a fancy new camera, here is my first super-close up photo.....

Pasta Della California Via Vcon

This dish is refreshingly good! If you haven't tried it yet, do yourself a favor and make it, now!

More V-Con: Cornmeal Crusted Tofu & Dip

Last night I made the Chili Cornmeal crusted tofu (with blue corn meal) and sweet potato fries & BBQ sauce for dipping. I don't know if you know this about me, but I hate tofu! Well, maybe I don't hate it, I like it blended in things, but I've never found a tofu-as-a-main-dish recipe that I've loved. And this time is no exception. While it was probably better than other attempts it just didn't cut it for me.

However, for lunch & snacking, I made the Spinach Asparagus Dip which is awesome! It made a lot, and my husband and I finished it off by the end of the day. If I hadn't have used up the last of my cashews I would make some more for today!

Lookie what we got!

Well, I finally did it! With some belated birthday money, I bought myself 2 books I've been wanting. Better late than never, huh?

Here is my first dinner from V-con: Seitan & Mushroom Spinach something or other (I can't get up and check the title right now, I have a sleeping baby in my arms. I ommitted the mushrooms and onion because I am out, but it was still very tasty without. Served over quinoa, and yum!

Curried Lentil Loaf & Maple-Mustard Potatoes & String Beans

This dinner was from last week, and I just haven't posted it yet. But I wanted to post this one so I could get to what I am going to post tomorrow.

Here is Curried Lentil Load from the Veg. Meat & Potatoes Cookbook with Maple Mustard potatoes and string beans from VWAV.

I've been keeping really busy, with school and my baby. Yesterday we tie-dyed some clothes and cloth diapers.. here's a look at our first attempt. We had so much fun, I ordered more dye to do some more!

The easiest Sloppy Joes, Ever

Sorry, I've been bad about posting! My hubby has been working out of town a lot, and cooking a big dinner for just myself and my 9 month old is very challenging! Here is an easy dinner that we've had on a weekend, sloppy Joe's from hubby's childhood recipe:

One 1/2 package veggie grounds (Smart Grounds)
1/2 diced onion
1/3 c. ketsups
1 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs olive oil
4 pieces of bread or 2 buns

Saute onions in olive oil, add smart grounds when they are cooked. Add ketsup and brown sugar, coat grounds well. Serve on bread of choice. Easy!

Baked Rigatoni

This simple baked pasta was so comforting and delicious! A day later, I want to make it again for lunch! It is kind of heavy on the processed side, since I used veggie grounds and Follow Your Heart cheese, but it is so worth it!

Ingredients:

• Half Pound rigatoni pasta (or ziti)
• One 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbs Italian seasoning
  
• 1/2 pound veggie grounds (I used Light Life brand)
• soy mozzerella to top.
  

Directions: In a large pot boil water, and cook noodles until almost done. Meanwhile, chop and saute the onion and galic. Add veggie grounds- saute to break them up and mix flavors, then add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and wine, adjust flavor as desired. Let simmer until noodles are ready to be drained.

Preheat oven to 375. In a casserole dish layer noodles, then sauce, and top with cheese. Bake for about 30 mins, and serve with garlic bread and a glass of red wine (if you'd like).

I think this dish would also be good with sliced olives on top. I will try that next time. It also takes great cold the next day. This is ultimate comfort food!