The Vegan Mother's Blog

Taking a long break

2009-12-22T14:52:00.002-07:00

I haven't posted on my blog in a very long time. We are taking a break since I am in school full time, and being a full time mama to two wonderful little boys. I'm still cooking up a storm and wish I had more time to commit to my food blog! Miss you all. Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Ginger Seame Tofu

2008-08-03T11:09:00.003-06:00

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!

2008-07-13T11:48:00.005-06:00

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

2008-07-06T22:02:00.002-06:00

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

2008-06-12T14:47:00.002-06:00

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

2008-05-26T10:15:00.005-06:00

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

2008-05-25T10:44:00.000-06:00

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!

2008-05-24T08:47:00.002-06:00

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

2008-05-10T14:31:00.002-06:00

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.

2008-05-09T12:26:00.002-06:00

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

2008-05-09T10:54:00.004-06:00

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

2008-05-05T21:55:00.005-06:00

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

2008-05-01T23:20:00.003-06:00

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

2008-04-25T09:49:00.006-06:00

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!

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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

2008-03-30T20:49:00.005-06:00

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

2008-03-23T21:01:00.003-06:00

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

2008-03-20T12:32:00.002-06:00

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

2008-03-17T10:45:00.003-06:00

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

2008-03-08T14:13:00.004-07:00

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!

2008-03-06T13:35:00.004-07:00

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

2008-03-03T21:55:00.006-07:00

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

2008-02-28T23:09:00.005-07:00

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

2008-02-28T12:24:00.006-07:00

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!

2008-02-27T12:27:00.004-07:00

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

2008-02-25T23:03:00.006-07:00

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

2008-02-17T12:35:00.003-07:00

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

2008-02-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

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!

Super Spicey Baigan Bharta

2008-01-31T10:59:00.001-07:00

Baigan Bharta is my most favorite Indian dish. I really wanted to do a good job with this, but HOLY WOWZAAs was this HOT! I used this recipe and it called for 1/2 teaspoon of Masala powder. Next time I will use 1/2 of that, or even less! I also subbed a can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh, because that is what I had on-hand. I ommitted green chilies.

Roasting the eggplant was pretty simple, but skinning it was not. I put the roasted eggplant in my food processor instead of mashing it by hand (I love that thing!).

I am determined to master this recipe. Eating out gets really expensive! The smokey flavor was there, but way too hot for my taste.

Banana Bread Muffins

2008-01-29T20:26:00.001-07:00

I had 2 very ripe bananas that needed to be used. I can't give THAT much to my baby for baby food, and I don't really like to eat bananas plain. But I LOVE banana bread! I found a recipe on vegweb, and altered it a lot according to the comments. This came out soooo good!!! It is best eaten warm. I made both muffins and bread that I added flax seeds and walnuts to.

And yes, I did take a big ol' bite out of the muffin before I took a pic!

1 3/4 cups flour (I used 1/2 reg 1/2 spelt)
1 cup sugar (you could use even less, it was pretty sweet)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup vegetable Oil (you can also sub for applesauce)
Ener-G equivalent of 2 or 3 Eggs
1/3 cup soy-buttermilk (add 1/3 teaspoon vinegar)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Mix bananas, oil (or applesauce), and buttermilk in another mixing bowl.

Combine the banana mixture with the large bowl containing dry ingredients, and stir well. Add the Ener-G Egg Replacer in now, and stir.

For muffins: line muffin pan with liners, scoop about 1/2 full, and bake for about 30 mins, or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.

For bread: lightly grease bread loaf pan, pour in mixture, and bake for about an 1 1/2 hours- or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.

Lemony Chickpeas, Spinach & Potatoes

2008-01-29T20:07:00.001-07:00

This is a dinner that my husband made. One side is the title of this entry- the Lemony side. The other side is spicy potatoes. Both are fantastic. But, this blog entry is focused on the lemony side.

I realized that I haven't contributed a recipe in a while. So, here is one that is easy, and comforting:

2 bunches of spinach
3-4 potatoes, cubed and cooked
1 can chickpeas
oil
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 onion chopped
1/4 t cumin seeds
a small bit of cayenne
juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions: saute onions, garlic and spices, add spinach and steam, add potatoes and lemon and let simmer until flavors blend together. Serve over rice.

Creamy Fettucine with Squash Sauce

2008-01-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

I've been going through recipe's I've saved on the computer and haven't used yet. I came across this recipe for a fettucine with squash sauce, and I just happened to have pumpkin in my fridge ready and waiting to be eaten.

I was rather disappointed at first. It wasn't until after we added nutritional yeast and a whole lot of salt (I typically don't use a lot of salt), that this had any flavor at all. The asparagus on the side was very tasty though! It might be worth it to experiment with this recipe, but there are so many others that I'd rather try first. Maybe another time, when I have some more squash that needs to be used.

It's been getting so much fun to let our baby sample different things lately. When he likes something he screeches with delight! He loves to feed himself too. Hopefully sometime during dinner, I'll remember to take a photo of his dinner too. Last night, he tried asparagus, and ate it all up, but he wasn't very thrilled with the noodle.

Spinach Pie

2008-01-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

I can never pronounce Spanakopita, so I always just say "spinach pie." I've had this recipe in my vegweb recipe box for ages. I always forget to buy phyllo dough.

I used extra firm water-packed tofu, instead of silken. I think next time I will use the silken instead though. I also used fresh spinach, instead of frozen, and I chopped half of it so it would be easier to stir around.

It turned out pretty well, for my first time, I think. Next time I will use more lemon and more spinach.

Middle Eastern Goodness

2008-01-21T10:51:00.001-07:00

I LOVE Middle Eastern food, especially Lebanese. There is this wonderful restaurant here in Salt Lake that has THE BEST Baba Ganoush I have ever had, Mazza. We go there as often as we can afford. Lately though, it's not in the budget to go out to eat as often as we like to. So, I tried to re-create the sampler platter that we always get when we go there: Baba Ganoush, Hummus, and Mujaddara.

I got an eggplant from my co-op, and I don't really like eggplant at all. But I do like Baba Ganoush, so I found a recipe for it in Vegan Cookbook. I halved the recipe to only use one eggplant, which was more than enough for 2 of us (and tastes for the baby too, of course).

I made a quick and simple hummus, which with my food processor, was my best batch ever.

Then Mujaddara, which is lentils, rice, and caramelized onions, and just a hint of cumin.

We ate it all with some pita bread.. This was sooo good, everyone (including the dog) loved it. Our baby was going crazy for some more, we couldn't feed him fast enough, so we let him chew on some pita dipped in hummus for a while, so we could eat too!

In a Baking Mood

2008-01-16T13:47:00.001-07:00

These photos are actually from last Friday. My baby (who is 8 months old today!!!) came down with a little infection on top of teething, so I've been trying to comfort a very needy, cranky, baby on top of trying to keep up with school work.

Last Friday, before he got sick, I was in a baking mood. I started out wanting to bake my own bread, and pulled out my favorite baguette recipe from The Garden of Vegan or How it All Vegan, I forget which. I added sundried tomatoes to it, and saved half the dough for pizza.

Here is the pizza I made with the baguette dough. I got a fancy pizza pan and cutter with my new processor, so I wanted to try it out. This is my first time ever making a pizza completely from scratch. I usually buy the pre-made crusts and add toppings that way. This was much cheaper (besides the artichoke hearts, those are pricey, but they are also a MUST). On this pizza is organic pizza sauce, mushrooms, spinach, and artichoke hearts. I didn't think about the fact that mushrooms and spinach shrink when cooked, otherwise I would have added more. But it was still good for my first time.

Later on in the night, I got a craving for cookies. I used the chocolate chip cookie recipe from VWAV (Did you know I don't actually own that book, it is the library's copy and I keep renewing it!). Does anyone else have a problem with dryness from this recipe? I always have to add more liquid to it. I added about 1/4 c. or more of soymilk and about a teaspoon more molasses. These were my best batch EVER. The extra soymilk made them soooo soft. I really ate more than I should have!

Stuffed Peppers Over Potatoes

2008-01-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

From my new cookbook- Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes, comes this recipe. Earlier in the day, I made some home-made vegetable broth, which left me some pealed potatoes that I needed to use up. So, this recipe jumped out at me as I browsed my cookbooks. I never would have thought to put stuffed peppers over potato slices, but it worked out wonderfully. On the side is some steamed collared greens that I needed to use up.

This was pretty good. I'm glad I tried it. There are so many recipes in my new books, I don't know when I'll get around to making this again, but I hope to discover it again sooner than later.

Bringing Good Luck to 2008

2008-01-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

I remember my childhood, where my dad always had my mom make black eyed peas for New Years dinner. I always thought he was being a weird Texan (no offense to my friends in Texas!), but this year I decided to look into it. Rumor has it, that eating black-eyed peas and collard greens for new years is suppose to bring good luck with money in the coming year. Well, we could use all the luck in that department that we can get, so for this year's New Years dinner I made black-eyed peas over quinoa, with garlicy-kale & collard greens with tahini sauce inspired by VWAV. I added onions to my black eyed peas and squirted some Bragg's on top- my favorite way to eat them.

It's been a whirl-wind of dinners, get-togethers, and celebrations these past couple weeks. I am looking forward to getting back to normal. Hope every one had a safe and happy holiday season!

Macaroni Bean Salad

2008-01-01T14:17:00.001-07:00

Cindy seamed to always have this when I went over to her house. So before she moved away I was sure to ask for a copy of the recipe because I knew I would miss it almost as much as her! I think this is from La Dolce vegan. A word of advice about this recipe- make sure you dice the onions very small, and possibly use less than half of what it calls for. This was VERY oniony, but still good, and a lot.

Holly's Lemon Gem Cupcakes

2008-01-01T14:06:00.001-07:00

For my mother-in-law's birthday I made her some Lemon Gem cupcakes from VWAV. Oh my, these are good, I wish I would have doubled the batch!

Basil Walnut Pesto

2008-01-01T13:47:00.001-07:00

With my new food processor I couldn't wait to make a pesto that didn't over-flow out of the container like my 3 cup one. I came up with a simple pesto, inspired by Cathe Olson's from the Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook. I think I only subbed basil from parsley, and added baby peas, which was really my favorite part of the sauce.

Christmas Manicotti

2007-12-30T22:46:00.001-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting Christmas dinner. It's been a whirl-wind of dinners, family get-togethers and everything this past week, it's been hard to keep up with everything.. believe me, my blog isn't the only thing that's been ignored!

Christmas evening was spent at my mother-in-law's house. I made manicotti (and lasagna with the broken noodles) with basil-tofu ricotta, and we had it with asparagus and garlic toast.

After dinner we all sipped on wassel, and then opened presents...

Christmas Presents for my Kitchen

2007-12-28T10:52:00.001-07:00

Well, I left my usb flash card thing at my mother-in-laws, so I haven't been able to upload pics to share our meals with you. So, until I get it back, which will hopefully be this evening, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite Christmas presents for my kitchen...

I got a little bit of Christmas cash, so I went and bought this book. I am all about vegan comfort food, as you know, so I could not pass this up. Last night I made the curried lentil loaf, which was super tasty (But cook it longer than it says to).

My husband got me this cookbook- Vegan Fusion World Cuisine, recipes from the Blossoming Lotus- the best vegan restaurant I've ever been - too bad I have to go to Kauai whenever I want to eat there (I think there is one is Seattle too, but I could be wrong).

And here is my super-duper-fancy food processor that my parents gave us... I am SOOOOO Excited about this! I've made pesto and the curried lentil loaf with it already. I want to use it every day I love it so much!

Christmas Eve Shepard's Pie

2007-12-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

We are at my mother-in-laws for the evening. We were planning on going to my mom's for dinner tonight, but it is a blizzard out there (like it is in much of the rest of the country, I hear). So, we decided to stay in, and make dinner here instead. I made this very comforting shepard's pie, with lentils for the "meat." Topped with a simple gravy (my husband's specialty), and a side of roasted garlic brussels sprouts from VWAV.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound lentils, cooked
7-8 potatoes, cooked and mashed with 1/4 c. soymilk and 1/4 c. "butter"
1 bag mixed frozen veggies (corn, beans, green beans, carrots, etc)
one onion, diced and saute'd in olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a 9x13 casserole dish line the bottom with cooked lentils, then layer with cooked onions, frozen veggies, and mashed potatoes. Top with spices and bake in oven for about 40 mins.

For dessert we had sparkled ginger cookies (so good, I made another batch!), and hot peppermint cocoa made with Vitasoy chocolate peppermit soymilk. Thanks vegan_noodle for the idea, sooooo good! That little mushroom in the background is the rattle we got for Sebastian for a Christmas present, how cute is that??!!

Happy Winter Solstice

2007-12-22T18:07:00.001-07:00

There is nothing like spending winter solstice in your pajamas baking cookies all day. That is what I did today. I also meant to bake a pineapple up-side-down sun cake for the occasion, but I am sick of baking! I made 2 batches of Chocolate Thumbprint (with raspberry jam) cookies from VWAV, and one batch Sparkled Ginger cookies (also from VWAV).

For the Thumb-print cookies I ommited the almond extract because I didn't have any, and didn't want to run to the store. I also subbed soybean oil for peanut oil for the same reason. It still turned out great though. Also, if you plan to make these, be careful not to use too much jam, or press too deep, because the jam will make itself to the bottom, and out the other side when you pick the cookie up to eat it, thus making a little mess, and kind of annoyance.

Below is our little goody-bags we made up for our friends, neighbors, and family. I just put 2 cookies each into seperate sandwhich bags, wrapped with ribbon, and our holiday photo (courtesy of Landslide Photography, thanks Timbra!).

Tonight for our Solstice dinner, I am making chili, and we will be drinking warm Sangria, and Sebastian will be opening up one gift (PJs). Maybe next year I will get around to making a sun cake for the solstice.

Saag Aloo & Spicy Potatoes

2007-12-21T11:32:00.001-07:00

I've had a bad cold the last week. A few days ago hubby made this for me to help clear my sinuses (curry is great for clearing sinuses) Not sure what he did, but it was yummy!

Spaghetti Bolognese

2007-12-17T16:16:00.001-07:00

Spaghetti Bolognese is traditionally a very meat heavy meal. This one, however, uses veg-sausage and mushrooms. Topped with Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella, it was a lot tastier than I expected. It was also very simple. Just chopping, sauteing and cooking noodles.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound spaghetti noodles
1 can diced tomatoes
2 TBS tomato paste
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb Light Life Gimme Lean Sausage (or your favorite)
Olive Oil
Your Favorite vegan cheese to top

Directions: Start cooking the noodles first. Then, in a large frying pan, coat with olive oil and saute the onions until clear, add the mushrooms, and saute, add garlic and soy-sausage. When everything is cooked through, add tomato paste and diced tomatoes, and let simmer until the noodles are done cooking and drained. Toss noodles and sauce well. Top with vegan cheese, and serve with garlic bread.

Tempeh Peanut Sauce Over Soba Noodles

2007-12-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

We had some leftover coconut milk, so I came up with this to use it up, and use the tempeh that I never know what to do with. It was good, but the sauce was a little bit too peanut-buttery that I wanted. So, I will work on this some more before posting a recipe.

Tater Tot Casserole

2007-12-12T11:28:00.001-07:00

I apologize it has been so long since my last blog. Now that the semester is over, and another holiday is coming up, I hope I can post more!

Last night I veganized Tater Tot Casserole, for my hubby. It was very easy. Maybe not as easy as traditional tater tot casserole, but easy anyway. Also, VERY filling.

Ingredients:

One bag Tater tots (I used a 22oz bag)
3 cups plain soymilk
3 TBS corn starch
1 portobell0 mushroom, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package Smart Grounds (Lightlife brand) or 2 cups of your favorite ground crumbles
2 tsp fresh or 1 tsp dry parsley
1 tsp each onion & garlic powder

Optional additions: 1 cup frozen veggies (I forgot to add these to mine), 1/2 c. shredded soy cheddar, 1/2 c. fried onions.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a med saucepan, heat soymilk, spices and cornstarch, and heat until thick, to make cream of mushroom soup. In a small skillet, saute mushrooms in olive oil, and add to soup. Then, saute onions and garlic, and add your veggie grounds when the onions are clear. This is really just to break apart the crumbles and mix with the onions/garlic. In a casserole dish, layer with the crumbles, then optional frozen veggies, then the mushroom soup, top with tater tots, and optional fried onions and/or cheddar. Bake uncovered for about 45-60 mins.

Serves about 4-6.

The Survey

2007-11-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?

I'd prefer not to like it so much, but Silk seams to work best for my taste buds.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?

1 - Shepard's Pie

2 - I should really make something with my pumpkins, so maybe pumpkin coconut soup

3 - I should also use my butternut squash, any suggestions?

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?

carmel

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?

I'm sure there has been plenty...

5. Favorite pickled item?

Sauerkraut

6. How do you organize your recipes?

In my blog, unless I forget to post them!

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?

If I lived in a house I would compost (and have in the past) but now its the garbage or disposal.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods…what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)?

Potatoes, chickpeas, and granola

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?

I always took the meat off my hamburgers and cheese and pepperoni off my pizza. I liked it that way, and couldn't understand how people ate it otherwise.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?

cookies n cream or pralines (Purely Decedent)

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?

Coffee pot

12. Spice/herb you would die without?

Ok, I am going to be boring and say parsley. I have a new found love for parsley.

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?

Not totally a cookbook, but it's called "Vegetables" It just describes all the veggies and tells you how to prepare and cook them, and they each have a recipe. Not a vegetarian, but many are.

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?

a local-made cinnamon peach

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?

Soup

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?

Seitan

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?

Dinner

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?

Containers of beans, silver wine glasses, post-its, pen...

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.

frozen berries, ice and breastmilk (Hey, you asked!)

20. What’s on your grocery list?

toothpaste, and coffee

21. Favorite grocery store?

Good Earth (local Health Food Store)

22. Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet.

Tater-tot casserole, for my husband.

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa’s because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?

Fat Free Vegan I probably visit the most, but I love so many more. Vegan Lunch Box got me starting in the food blog world, so props to her!

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?

Newman's own mint sandwich cookies.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?

maple syrup.. seriously, that stuff is expensive. I keep meaning to get some at Costco.

26. How did you get so pretty?

I don't know, but if you add my good looks with my husbands good looks, you get one VERY good looking baby!

NoTurkey Day ~ Wild Stuffed Squash

2007-11-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

I had this vision for Thanksgiving, that I've had for years now. But every year it seams I take the easy way out, and just do a Tofurky. Last year I was pregnant, so I didn't feel like it, and this year no one else shared my vision. I've wanted to make an all indigenous Thanksgiving, with all foods from the American continents. Since no one else shared this vision of mine, it was not at all what I wanted, BUT I am not complaining. It turned out to be a wonderful holiday, filled with my favorite vegan food, and family. We had Wild Stuffed Squash, Blue Corn Bread, mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, stuffing, and Tofurky.

I made the Wild Stuffed Squash, and it was very simple. All ingredients (besides olive oil and sage) are indigenous ingredients, and very savory & sweet.

Wild Stuffed Squash Recipe:

4-5 acorn squash, sliced in half, seeded.
2 cups wild rice
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
2 tbs chopped fresh sage
salt to taste

Brush squash with olive oil and roast on 400, faced down for about 30-40 mins. Meanwhile, cook the wild rice as indicated on the package. When wild rice is cooked and the water has evaporated, combine with sage, cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Scoop into cooked acorn squash and roast for about 10 mins.

For the Blue corn bread, I used this recipe on vegweb. I only had blue corn meal, so I used that instead of yellow. I ommited the pimentos and forgot to put in sugar (oops). It was good, but kind of dry, and I didn't use muffin pans (I really need to buy some).

I hope everyone else had a great holiday, filled with lots of yummy vegan comfort food!

Hubby's Pad Thai

2007-11-20T20:33:00.001-07:00

My hubby found this recipe on vegweb for Pad Thai. He pretty much followed it exactly, but ommited the chili paste and the tofu. He used paprika too. It was delicious! It's not often we have Asain food at home, but this was better than any pad thai I've had at a restaurant here.

Sundried Tomato, Pine Nut & Parsley Pesto

2007-11-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

My husband came up with this wonderfully tasty dinner last night. It was really simple:

Cooked spaghetti noodles, as much as you can eat :)
1/4 c. pine nutes
1/4 c chopped sundried tomatoes
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil

Combine all, and serve.

Early Tofurky Day

2007-11-11T22:40:00.001-07:00

Saturday night we had an early Thanksgiving dinner with my family, because my sister was in town for a few days. My folks rented 2 condos in the mountains, just north of Salt Lake City, to have our early holiday feast. I was not even going to bother with a Tofurky this year because I figured it would just be my hubby and I eating it, since my 95% vegetarian mom wants meat for thanksgiving, and my sister stopped being vegetarian for more convenience foods. But, she asked for a Tofurky this year, so I made one. And it was good, as always.

This will be my 3rd holiday season that I've been meat free. I went vegetarian right after Thanksgiving 4 years ago. Since then, I've always bought the fake turkey roast at the store instead of making up something else. It's been a lovely tradition, but I'm ready for a change. This year, I've been wanting to make an all indigenous foods Thanksgiving, but I knew I would miss that Tofurky!

Anyway, I'll quit blabbering on about how much I love Tofurky... For our traditional early Thanksgiving celebration I made Tofurky, mashed potatoes & gravy, and green bean casserole. The first 2 are easy no-brainers, but that green bean casserole was amazing! I found a recipe on vegweb, but I forgot to bring it with me, so this is my own vegan green bean casserole:

green bean casserole ingredients:

2 cans green beans
1 larger sized can french fried onions
4-5 cups plain soymilk
2 Tbs corn starch
1 cup mushrooms, minced
1 tsp garlic & onion powder
salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat to 375 F. In a med saucepan add soymilk, mushrooms, corn starch and seasonings, and bring to a boil until it thickens into a soup. In a casserole dish, combine green beans, soup mixture, and 1/2 can of FF'd onions. mix together, then top with remaining onions, and bake for about 25 mins, covered.

Roasted Pumpkin Hummus

2007-10-31T23:16:00.000-06:00

For tonight's dinner party I made some pumpkin hummus. It was very simple, and although it didn't taste much like pumpkins and tasted more like hummus, is was very good. I only used half a small pumpkin for this batch, and as you can see in the photo, the other half was the festive dish. The hummus had just a hint of orange coloring (I don't know if you can tell that in the photo).

I was going to make it into a jack-o-lantern face, but I got rushed at the last minute, and spent too much time chatting with a friend. Here is what I did:

One small pumpkin, roasted in (seeded) halves
One can chickpeas
2 Tbs tahini
1/3-1/2 c. olive oil

Directions: With one half of the pumpkin, remove cooked chunks, and place into food processor. Add remaining ingredients to processor and combine, adding more olive oil for a smoother consistency. When everything is blended and smooth, place hummus into the other half of the pumpkin. Serve with pita, chips, pretzels, crackers...

Chik'n Fried Steak Dinner

2007-10-30T16:01:00.000-06:00

My apologies for lack of recent blogs. My husband has been in Los Angeles, and he will be there another 3 weeks. But, he came home last weekend, so it was back in the kitchen for me!

To celebrate his temporary homecoming, I made a homestyle comfort food dinner- Chik'n Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, and homestyle buttermilk biscuits.

I've been wanting to make this dinner for a while now. I've been disapoointed with other versions that I've had at a local restaurant. I am from the South, as you know, and their version of vegan chicken fried steak was more like chicken fried chicken! So I figured, I could do better!

Chik'N Fried Steak:

4 vegan burgers (Boca or Morningstar are textured mostly like real ground beef)
1 1/2 cups flour
Oil for frying
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper

Directions: In a large frying pan, coat bottom with oil, and heat on Med. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 c. flour and water to make it into a medium thickness paste (not runny, not dense). In another small mixing bowl, combine 1/2 c. flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Place burger into dry flour, then coat with flour paste, then re-coat in dry flour. Place in frying pan, and fry on Med heat, until each side is browned. When CFS is done cooking, save oil for gravy. GRAVY: Let oil cool slightly and mix with plain, un-sweetened soymilk, and leftover flour, stir frequently to remove lumps and until thick.

Serves 4. Serve with buttermilk biscuits, mashed taters n' gravy, and a few close friends and/or family.

Chickpea Soup For the Soul

2007-10-15T23:50:00.000-06:00

My sweet husband left town to work in L.A. - so in order to mourn properly, and sooth my lonely heart, I made me some chickpea noodle soup- for the soul.

My mom came over this evening to watch my baby during my class (midterm, yikes!) and it simmered while I was away for an hour. She couldn't wait to eat some while I was gone, and she loved it! I thought it was a little weird that people have been saying that the chickpeas gave it that hearty (meaty) taste and texture until I tried it for myself.. and it really is! Anyway, here is what I did:

Ingredients:

one can or 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 large carrots, quartered and sliced
3-4 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 white or yellow onion, minced or diced
1/2 pound noodles
1 Tbs garlic powder
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped finely
2 Tbs No-Chicken Bullion (or 2 cubes)
6 or so cups of water, add as needed
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: In a large pot combine water and carrots, onion and celery. Boil on Med-Low for about 10 mins. Add remaining ingredients and boil until noodles are soft. Serve.. easy huh?

Homemade Bread & Split Pea Soup for Two

2007-10-13T19:58:00.000-06:00

We spent a rainy morning at the farmer's market today. Our budget was $10 and we got a large pumpkin, 25 lbs of yukon gold potatoes, 2 acorn squash, 6 large onions and a bunch of carrots. That's a lot of food for $10! I think we did very well.

After the farmer's market I felt like it was a great day for home made bread and soup. So I got a recipe for bread out of How it All Vegan, and I made 2 loaves- one white bread and one sun-dried tomato and artichoke.

While the bread was rising, I made some split pea soup. Then, while the bread was rising the second time, and the soup was simmering, I ran to the local health food store to pick up some things since they are closed tomorrow, and by the time I got home the power had gone out from the storm. Good thing we have a gas stove. Anyway, I couldn't set up my fancy photo spot since the power was out- so I took todays pictures out on my balcony.

Artichoke & Sun Dried Tomato Bread

Split Pea Soup for Two:

One Cup. Split Peas
2 carrots, chopped
one small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
One cube veg. bullion
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: In a large pot, combine about 4 c. water and one c. split peas. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Chopped veggies and add to water with bullion and spices, and cook until everything is tender, adding extra water as needed. Serve when everything is tender.

Mystery Squash Chili Over Blue Corn Waffles

2007-10-12T20:06:00.000-06:00

We've had this squash since our last co-op pick up and I have no idea what kind it is. I thought it was a type of pumpkin, but it doesn't taste anything like one. Does anyone recognize it?

I was came across this site that inspired me to create a chili with the mystery squash over thier recipe for corn waffles. The chili was really, really simple:

Squash & White Bean Chili Ingredients:

one can white beans (or 2 cups cooked)
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper (although I actually forgot this in mine)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cubed squash (pumpkin, butternut, etc)
2 teaspoons chili powder

Directions: Saute onions and garlic until onions are clear. Add undrained can of beans (or cooked beans and a cup of water), squash and chili powder and let simmer while you make the waffles (or for for about 15 mins). Serve over corn waffles or on it's own..

Do you know what squash this is?

Adventures in Baking Part II

2007-10-08T17:51:00.000-06:00

Another adventure in baking today! We made cinnamon rolls with Cindy's Aunt's recipe that was passed onto her recently. They were amazing, and we had fun, and lots of laughs!

Our first attempt didn't turn out so well...

Finally, we got it to stay on the counter long enough to get flour in there so I could start kneading the dough...

After we let it rise, we rolled it out to get all the air bubbles out...

Then spread on margarine and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and roll, cut, ...

... and bake (for what seams like forever!)...

Cover in icing and enjoy!

I didn't get the recipe so go visit her blog and make some of your own tasty treats! Stay tuned for more Adventures in Baking.. Next time is Sugar Cookies!

Homestyle Pot Pie

2007-10-07T20:32:00.001-06:00

Another night with a friend over. My husband's long time friend and colleague from out of town came over for dinner this evening. His wife and kid live out of state, so to make him feel at home and not so lonely, we made this homestyle pot pie. He said it tasted like Autumn! Seriously, talk about comfort food.. this was comfort to it's highest. So simple and savory, it's sure to please your family's taste.

Filling Ingredients:

2-3 large potatoes, diced
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 carrots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup frozen peas (or corn, or both)
1 cube veg. bullion
2 tsp parsley

Biscuits Recipe Ingredients:

2 c. flour
3 tsp non-aluminum baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c. non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup sour soymilk (soymilk + 1 tsp. vinegar)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook veggies in broth water until soft. Meanwhile, make the biscuits recipe for the crust. Roll or press dough into casserole dish (the above recipe makes enough for one 8x8 dish, double for larger casserole dish- you will have plenty veggies), make sure to get the sides. Spoon cooked veggies with a little broth into the casserole dish, over the dough. Cover the veggies with the remaining dough, poke a few holes with a fork and bake for about 40-45 mins, depending on your stove. Remove from oven when biscuit mixture is cooked completely. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For dessert, my hubby made a lemon blueberry cake from scratch. It was very sweet! He is trying to recreate a recipe from years ago when he worked at a little veggie cafe here in Salt Lake.

Friday Night Dinner Party

2007-10-06T14:34:00.000-06:00

The dinner party at my friend's house was great. It was the 3 of us girls, who I met at La Leche Legue a few months ago, and our husbands. Our host made bean and mushroom enchiladas with spanish rice and guacamole and salsa. We brought the dessert, which was awesomely good (I had 2 pieces while over there, and finished it off when we got home)!

It was a fun night! I almost forgot to take a picture, and I did forget my camera (Doh!) Luckily, I was able to borrow a camera for a couple pics, and got to use a super nice camera (I want one!).

And here is our kiddos playing with each other (Mine's the little one) after dessert.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

2007-10-05T15:37:00.000-06:00

I am made this cake for a dinner party for this evening. I got the recipe from vegweb. I only made a couple of modifications. Check back later for peer review from the dinner party...

Pineapple Upside Down Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pineapple juice/water (see below)
1/3 cup oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 20 oz can pineapple rings in unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Pour juice off can of pineapple into 1 cup measuring cup--it should be about 3/4 cup juice. Add water to make 1 cup. In a separate bowl, combine oil, vinegar and juice. Sprinkle with brown sugar.into the bottom of a 12 inch spring form pan and arrange Pineapple rings over the sugar. Quickly mix wet ingredients into dry, stirring quickly to combine ingredients well and get out the big lumps. Pour into pan on top of the pineapple/brown sugar mix. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking time will depend on pan size...mine took 30 minutes in my crappy oven in a 12 inch spring form pan. Let cool and loosen sides of cake from pan. Remove side ring and place serving plate on top. Flip cake over onto serving plate and remove pan bottom.

Red Beans 'n Rice

2007-10-04T22:22:00.000-06:00

As a girl born in the south (and family still there) I sometimes must make a dish close to my roots. Tonight, I made red beans 'n rice for a few reasons, 1.) I needed to use up our veg sausage, 2.) My hubby put red beans on the pot and asked what we should make with them, and 3.) I love comfort food, especially trying to veganize them. This was really good, but it was missing something. If anyone is super familiar with Cajun food, please tell me what I was missing with this recipe. It *almost* was the red beans 'n rice I remember from my childhood, but not quite.

Ingredients:

1 lb dry red beans, cooked
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
2 bay leaves
dashes of Tabasco
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
Some salt and pepper
1/2 package Gimme Lean vegan sausage
2 cups white or brown rice, cooked

Directions: Cook beans as directed and simmer on low. Saute the onion and garlic, then bell pepper and celery, and add to beans. Add spices, simmer uncovered, adding water if needed to cover beans. Fry veg sausage in olive oil (fry in crumbles) and add to beans. Let everything simmer for a while (30 mins- 3 hours, the longer the better). Serve on top of white or brown rice.

Give it a try and tell me what I am missing. It really is good as is- not bad at all.. my hubby and his friend who was over for dinner really liked it. I'm the picky one when it comes to cajun food.

Roasted Fig Pilaf

2007-10-03T19:51:00.000-06:00

Here is a new recipe I created this evening. My husband's mother has a fig tree in her yard, so I wanted to create something yummy that we would be able to use her fresh organic figs. Get ready for a treat.. this pilaf is truly inspired by the Goddesses! It is so delicate and sweet, and it's almost like eating candy for dinner, almost. My husband was praising me for this, and told me I should submit this to a vegan recipe contest. I just might do that. I have a few months to decide if this is "The One" to enter.

Ingredients:

1 c. Organic Rice Blend (I used a mixture of brown, heirloom red, calmati and wild rice)
2 1/2 c. water
10-15 fresh figs, diced
1/4 c. diced onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 c. pine nuts
Olive Oil

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Dice figs and brush with olive oil. Roast in oven on cookie sheet for 25 mins. Meanwhile, in a large pot add water, rice and a teaspoon olive oil, heat on high until it boils, then simmer covered on low until tender. In a small pan add olive oil, onion, and garlic and saute until onions are tender and translucent. When rice and figs are done, mix it all together with parsley, sage and pine nuts.

I hope you like this as much as me. It is a great side dish, but I ate it as a main dish with fresh green beans from my friend's garden.

Rustic Stew

2007-10-02T22:29:00.001-06:00

I had a class tonight, so we just whipped up this soup for dinner tonight because we had everything on-hand and I wanted something to eat with my homemade bread. This is Rustic Tomato & Lentil Stew from How it All Vegan. It was so good. I didn't pre-cook the lentils like it said and I just added more water and cooked for longer. It was perfectly paired with the homemade bread, and it indeed tasted very rustic.

Adventures in Bread Baking!

2007-10-02T16:30:00.002-06:00

Today, I went over to my friend Cindy's house to bake bread together. Neither of us have baked bread before, so we both felt like it would be easier to do it together, since it is pretty intimidating to bake bread alone (at least to us!). Plus our baby boys are close to the same age, and it is fun watching them interact with one another. I didn't get the recipe for the bread before I left, but check out her blog for more details.

Cindy is another vegan mom that lives in the SLC (Salt Lake City) area. Surprisingly there are quite a lot of us vegan mamas here, which is somewhat unexpected to an outsider. But SLC is pretty veg-friendly. Anyway, here are pics from today's bread baking adventure:

This is Cindy kneading the bread

Here is our bread in the oven

Right out of the oven

Check back in a few days for more Adventures from Cindy's Kitchen. I think we are baking cinnamon rolls next!

Blueberry Scones

2007-10-01T23:48:00.001-06:00

The biscuits from earlier were so simple, I decided to try a desert tonight. Here is a Blueberry Scone that had the most delicate sweetness and warmed perfection. It simply danced on my tongue! It wasn't too sweet, too rich, or too bland.. they are perfect. It only takes about 5-10 mins to make, plus cooking time.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 c. non-refined sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 c. soymilk
1/4 margarine
1 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
plus about 1 tsp sugar for topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F. Mix dry ingredients together, then add wet ingredients. Gently fold in blueberries (You will get messy! Use clean hands and have fun!) Scoop onto a lightly oiled pan, sprinkle sugar on top, and bake for 15 mins, or until tops have browned slightly.

Here is what they looked like going into the oven:

And here is what they look like when they come out:

Top with margarine, and enjoy. mmm... I want another!

Biscuits & Rosemary Sausage Gravy

2007-10-01T17:17:00.000-06:00

This tasted just like the real thing! WOW! Incredible! It was just a light dinner because I had a class tonight at college, and we had company over- my omni brother in law. He raved about them and that he doesn't even like biscuits and gravy, but it was so good he went back for seconds. I meant to cook up veggies on the side, but I didn't really have time, but we had more than enough for the 3 of us plus seconds. Next time I will make it with veggies on the side, and you better believe there will be a next time!

Biscuits Recipe Ingredients:

2 c. flour
3 tsp non-aluminum baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c. non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup sour soymilk (soymilk + 1 tsp. vinegar)

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 F. Combine dry ingredients with a whisk. Add sour soymilk and margarine and combine, but do not over mix. Lightly oil cookie sheet with olive oil or margarine and spoon biscuits dough onto pan. Bake for about 10-15 mins, or until tops have browned slightly.

Rosemary Sausage Gravy Recipe:

1 c. water
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 tsp vegetarian bullion (or 2 cubes)
1 c. plain soymilk
1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. pepper
salt to taste
1 Tbs rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 package vegan sausage (I like Light Life's Gimme Lean Brand)

Directions: In a med. saucepan combine water, olive oil and bullion until dissolved. Before turning on the heat, whisk in flour until well combined. Turn heat on to Med-High and add soymilk, salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic. Stir constantly until it starts to boil and thicken, turn heat to low. Meanwhile, cook the vegan sausage in an oiled pan, breaking up pieces into small grounds. Cook until browned and slightly crispy, then add into the gravy. Serve over biscuits.

Tofu-Cheese & Veggie Lasagna

2007-09-30T21:06:00.001-06:00

Tonight we had dinner at my mother-in-law's. I made a "Cheezy" Tofu Lasagna, with a side of store bought potato rosemary bread and salad. This recipe is so easy, I know it off the top of my head (it's modified versions from several recipes). I got rave reviews, they especially liked the fresh tomatoes that I topped it with, it made a really nice touch.

Ingredients:

12 strips of Lasagna noodles, cooked until they are mostly done.
1 package of firm water packed tofu- drained
1 container "Tofutti" non-hydrogenated cream cheese
1 c. nutritional yeast
1 bunch of spinach
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 small zucchini
1 tomato, diced
1 bell pepper
1 jar of spaghetti sauce

Directions:

While noodles are cooking, preheat oven to 375 F. In a small saucepan heat tofu, cream cheese and nutritional yeast together, over Med. heat, until melted- stirring often. In an oiled skillet combine onion, zucchini and pepper and saute until tender. In an 9x12 casserole dish, place one layer of cooked noodles on the bottom, cover with saute'd veggies, spinach leaves and half-jar of sauce. Add another layer of noodles and top with cheese mixture. Cover with noodles and top with spinach, sauce and diced tomato (you can add shredded soy cheese too, if you'd like). Bake at 375 for about 35-45 mins. Serve with garlic bread and enjoy with your family!

Purple Potato Soup

2007-09-29T21:39:00.000-06:00

It actually snowed in Salt Lake today! It didn't stick on the ground, but it was definitely a day for soup! I love creamy soup on cool, rainy & snowy days. We had some purple potatoes from the farmer's market we thought would be cool to try in a soup. It left just a tint of purple, and was delicious!

Ingredients:

6-8 small - med purple potatoes
3 carrots
2 stalks celery
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 cup plain soymilk
1/8 c. flour
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Dice potatoes (leaving well-washed skin on) and carrots. Place in large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to med/low. In a small skillet, add heat oil and add onion and garlic. Saute until onions turn clear and add to soup. Dice celery , add to soup. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and soymilk, and add to soup. Stir everything together. When potatoes are soft, soup is done! Serve with toasted bread, and warm your tummy after a wet and cold day!

Fall Harvest Pasta

2007-09-26T19:02:00.000-06:00

My hubby made this super simple pasta, with sauce from scratch and made out of fresh veggies. It was so easy, and very, very tasty!

Ingredients:

One med-large summer squash and/or zucchini
1/2 diced onion
1 bell pepper
1 clove of garlic- chopped
3 Tbs olive oil
2 fresh tomatoes, diced.
10 leaves of fresh basil, chopped.
1/2 lb pasta of your choice (penne, spaghetti, etc)

Directions:

Cook Pasta as directed on package. In a large skillet heat olive oil over med. heat. Add onion and garlic, saute until onion is clear. Add bell pepper and squash, then tomatoes and basil. Toss with cooked pasta and serve.

Autumn Equinox Feast

2007-09-23T19:27:00.000-06:00

For tonight's Equinox dinner we had Pumpkin Soup, Steamed Summer Squash & Swiss Chard, Candied Sweet Potatoes, with Rye Toast.

Pumpkin Soup Recipe:

One med pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 med. cooking potatoes, peeled and diced
1 med. onion, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 c. plain soymilk

Directions:

In a large pot combine all veggies and cover with water. Boil until pumpkin and potato are cooked and easily mashed. Strain water off veggies and place into a blender. Add soymilk and nutmeg and puree until blended well. Put back into the pot and add parsley.
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Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe:

1 large or 2 med sweet potatoes, diced and peeled.
2 Tbs. vegan margarine (Earth Balance, Smart Balance, etc)
2 Tbs. evaporated cane juice sugar
3 Tbs. water

Directions:

Boil sweet potatoes in water until you can easily cut through with a fork or knife. Strain water. In a large pan combine water, butter and sugar until well dissolved and it starts to bubble. Add sweet potatoes and mix gently and until they are all glazed.
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Steamed Summer Squash & Swiss Chard Recipe:

One large or 2 small yellow summer squash, diced
About 20-30 swiss chard leaves
1/2 cup vegetable broth

Directions:

Steam summer squash. In a large pan add veg. broth and chard leaves and saute' in broth until leaves are limp, but still vibrantly colored. When squash is steamed add to chard and gently mix together.

Review: I was a little disappointed with the soup, but hubby and his friend loved it, so I guess it was just me. I've never made sweet potatoes before, and I LOVED them. But, it is easy to over-do them because they are so sweet. My favorite happened to be the swiss chard & summer squash. They were a perfect tasting and colorful combo. I especially liked it with the rye-toast.

It was pretty easy, although a lot of peeling and dicing. But after that, you just boil most of the dinner for a while and then add the finishing touches.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

2007-09-22T20:53:00.000-06:00

I had a half of spaghetti squash left over from last night's dinner. And, I happened to get a recipe with out co-op newsletter today for Spaghetti Squash Casserole. I modified it to be vegan.

Ingredients:

One Spaghetti Squash, cooked
One Chopped Med Onion
1/2 container of Toffuti's Cream Cheese (non-hydrogenated)
1/3 c. Soymilk
3 slices cubed bread (I used rye bread)
1 tsp. dried basil
Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 400 F. In a casserole dish, lightly oil the bottom. Add oil to a small frying pan and saute the onions and basil until onions are clear. Add squash and onions to the casserole dish. In a small saucepan add soymilk and cream cheese. Heat on low until cheese mixture is melted, and then add to the casserole dish. Mix well and top with bread cubes. Bake for about 15 mins.

Variations: Add mushrooms, top with shredded cheeze

We ate ours with mashed potatoes and gravy. It was very good! Maybe next time I will add more veggies, but it was great anyway! Very creamy and definite comfort food. I thought the rye bread added a lot of "earthy" flavor to the creamy casserole.

Fall Harvest Baby

2007-09-22T11:18:00.001-06:00

We got our food co-op order today. Such a lovely Fall bounty full of squashes! It was so pretty, I had to take a photo with my son. I can't wait to create and test out some recipes for this month's produce box!

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

2007-09-21T21:22:00.000-06:00

Don't know what to do with an over abundances of fresh veggies? This is the best dinner to fix such a dilemma! This can use any veggie you want... I used zucchini, bell peppers, garlic, and fresh tomatoes (I would have used an onion if I had one). Toss with a soy cream and add Italian spices and salt and pepper and put over any pasta or spaghetti squash! YUM!

My Fresh Ingredients:

One Spaghetti Squash
One med-large Zucchini
One Clove Garlic
2 Bell Peppers
Onion (I would have used one if I had one)
3-4 Fresh Tomatoes

Ingredients for Sauce:

Some Olive Oil
1 c. plain soymilk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
1 Tbs. Flour
Italian Seasonings (Basil, Oregano, Parsley, etc.. dry or fresh)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut squash in half and take the seeds out. Drizzle olive oil on squash and the cookie sheet and place squash face down onto the sheet. Bake for about 30-40 mins. Meanwhile; saute garlic, onion, zucchini, peppers, and/or whatever veggies you want to cook up (peas, carrots, yellow squash, corn, etc), in olive oil on med-low. Be sure not to over cook. To make the sauce; in a small sauce pan add oil, soymilk, spices and flour, whisk together until blended and turn on heat to med-low. Cook until it turns into a sauce and then add it to the cooked veggies. Mix sauce and veggies until well coated, and then add fresh tomatoes and mix that in together. Let it warm on low.

When the Spaghetti Squash is cooked take it out of the oven and carefully (not to burn yourself!) break apart with a spoon or fork, the squash should resemble noodles. Eat them just like spaghetti noodles and top with primavera sauce. Enjoy!

Introduction

2007-09-19T22:48:00.000-06:00

OK, I was reading my IRL friend's food blog and I realized I don't really have any sort of introduction or bio of myself, other than that tiny little photo and about me bit on here. So, here it is...

I am Elizabeth (LizzyQ in most online forums), brand new mommy to SebbyDee (nickname from his auntie) as of May 2007. I have been meat free since Jan 1, 2004 as my new year's resolution that I renew every year. I eat vegan most of the time - since I met my hubby- who has been meat free for about 15 years and vegan for 10. I cook vegan at home.

I always knew I wanted to raise my child meat free, but as a independent pre-child woman, I rarely made many meals at home that where 1.) cheap and 2.) unprocessed. My vegetarian cooking is evolving from Tofurky and Boca Burgers to homemade nut loafs and home made soymilk. Adding a touch of comfort food and sometimes a bit of convenience for the busy mom.

Really, I love to cook. I love to create tasty food that veg*ns miss. I am a Southern Girl at heart, living in Mormon-Conservative Suburbia as a little vegan family. It's going to be an interesting life for my dear veggie baby!

Our Vegan Family

Artichoke, Basil & Pine Nut Pesto

2007-09-13T16:56:00.001-06:00

I was in the mood to create a yummy, lightly flavored pesto for dinner last night. Hubby has been out of town working, so I haven't had a chance to cook a great dinner since he's been gone. Now that he is back, it means I get to play more in the kitchen!

Last night's dinner was Artichoke, Basil & Pine Nut Pesto that I made up off the top of my head. It was super yummy, and we had kalamata olive artisan bread on the side (Oh, I love a good bread!).

Ingredients:

1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 14oz can water-packed artichokes (drained)
1/2 oz fresh basil (about 15-25 fresh leaves)
1 large clove of garlic (or 2 small cloves)
1/4 c. olive oil
1/8 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. pine nuts

Directions:

Put water on the stove to boil. In the meantime, with your food processor, blend together all ingredients, except pine nuts until a thick cream. If it is not blending well, add olive oil to loosen mixture. When water boils, cook pasta until done. Drain. Mix with pesto sauce. Add pine nuts and mix. Serve!

Creamy Chickpea and Tahini Casserole

2007-08-20T11:40:00.000-06:00

I've been reading other food blogs and got this recipe for Creamy Chickpea and Tahini Casserole off one of them. I hate to be such a copy-cat, but I HAD to try it. I had all the ingredients at home and it looked super easy. I used dried chickpeas instead of canned, because they are cheaper, and that's what I had on hand. It was very tasty. Hubby was a bit skeptical about it, and thought it would be too bland. But he loved it. He did add nutritional yeast to his bowl, and I think I will make it with the yeast next time too.

Spinach & Mushroom Risotto

2007-08-15T19:11:00.000-06:00

I need to use up our mushrooms and corn on the cob that have been in our fridge for too long. I had a nice big dinner planned for tonight, but plans got canceled. So, it ended up being boxed spinach and mushroom risotto with added saute'd mushrooms, and a side of steamed corn on the cob. It tasted pretty good for being a boxed dinner. Sometimes vegan mothers need a quick fix on the cheap!

P.S. I know I take crappy photos! I am working on improving my food pics, so please be patient with me and thanks for enduring my crappy photography!

Penne & Cheese, Mushrooms & Trees

2007-08-14T21:19:00.001-06:00

Hubby got into tonight's dinner! He even wanted me to show his homebrew in the pic, and helped come up with the name. He talked me out of 'Shrooms N' Trees because it sounded too hippy.

This was a great recipe. It was inspired by a broccoli & mushroom Alfredo off of vegweb.com. But I feel I altered it enough to call it my own.

Recipe:

Penne pasta (as much as you would eat in one sitting)
2/3 cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1 cup plain soy milk
2 tablespoons white flour
1 crushed or chopped garlic cloves (to taste)
plenty of salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
2/3 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (any kind)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance)
1/2 c. nutritional yeast

Cooking Directions:
Start boiling water for the pasta. chop the garlic and add to an oiled pan- saute on med heat. Chop mushrooms and add to garlic in the pan. When water boils, add penne pasta. In a med saucepan mix together milk, flour, margarine, olive oil, and yeast. Bring to a boil over med heat until thick while occasionally whisking sauce. Before you drain the pasta, add chopped broccoli to the boiling water and cook for about 3-5 mins. Drain. Mix with sauce and mushrooms, top with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

We liked this a lot. It was really easy and quick to make, with not a lot of chopping. It's a keeper!

Birthday Lasagna

2007-08-12T22:33:00.000-06:00

It was my husband's birthday recently, so we had a small family get together dinner for him. I made a Cheesy Vegan Lasagna from www.vegweb.com. It was a lot more time consuming then most of my dinners, but no one minded holding the baby while I cooked. I followed the recipe pretty accuratly, although it called for a lot more than I actually used; for instance I only used one jar of sauce and it called for 2. I also topped it with Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozzerella. The end result? Everyone seamed to love it, it was a big hit, and I would love to have the time to make it again.

On the side we had a garden salad, topped with homemade tahini dressing. Garlic Italian Flatbread finished the plate.

Who can have a birthday without a cake? Not my husband! My mom made a triple chocolate whole wheat vegan cake for his birthday. It was sooo good! She blended everything in her super blender, even the wheat to make flour, and the sugar to powder it for the frosting! Yum!

Gee Whiz Mac N' Cheeze

2007-08-04T20:43:00.000-06:00

Tonight was a mac and cheese made from the Gee Whiz cheese spread from the book "The Uncheese Cookbook". It was super easy, and we just happened to put on some white beans earlier today. The cheeze sauce was a little tangy, even though I didn't use nearly the amount of lemon juice the recipe called for.

Quinoa, Beans & Rainbow Veggies

2007-08-03T21:15:00.001-06:00

I finally remembered to take a photo of our dinner! Tonight we had Quinoa, Red Beans & Rainbow Veggies (for lack of a better title). It's a great protein packed meal for super cheap. I used dried red beans, but I've also made this with black beans and black eyed peas. Pintos would work too. I try to use dried beans because they are cheaper, but of course canned would work with this recipe.

1 cup dried quinoa
1-2 cups cooked beans (your choice)
2 peppers (green, yellow, red, orange, etc)
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
Any other veggies you have on hand (I used some summer squash from the farmers market).
Olive Oil
Tamari or Bragg's Liquid Amino's

Cook quinoa as directed (one cup Quinoa to 2 c. water)
Saute veggies in olive oil
When quinoa is done, add beans and veggies, mix together and serve with tamari or Bragg's.

Good Dinner & Forgetting to take Pics

2007-07-06T12:30:00.000-06:00

We've had a few yummy vegan dinners the last couple nights, but I forget that I am an author of a vegan blog now, so I forget to take photos! Oops!

I made vegan cornbread & Black Eyed Peas for dinner. Coming from a family of the South, that is a very common dinner. My father always requests it for New Years Night dinner, every year. For the corn bread, I used a mix (Bob's Red Mill) I bought on sale at the store. I subbed the eggs with Ener-G egg replacer, but I found the recipe to be a bit dry.

One thing about being a new mother, means I am no longer working outside the home. So, we are trying to save money on food stuffs by buying in bulk. Every week I make a pound of dried beans, and use them throughout the week in my dinners. This week has been black eyed peas. But, I find there aren't many recipies that call for these beans, so I have so much, I might have them through next week too.

I'll try to post pics of our next vegan home made dinner!

New Food Blog!

2007-07-02T22:18:00.001-06:00

I am such a fan of other vegan food blogs out there, so I thought I would start my own! In the future, I would love to showcase kid-friendly foods. But, my sweet baby is only a month and a half old, so he isn't eating yet. I suppose for now, I'll showcase the food I make for hubby and I.

I love to cook, and I love trying out and creating new recipes. Since becoming vegetarian, 3 1/2 years ago, I had to learn to cook all over again. Little did I know how vast the vegetarian world is with different cuisines, flavors, and life.