There's something about a very clean kitchen...

...that makes me want to get my hands dirty. I thought I was being so clever this morning. Before the housecleaners arrived, I made a soup in the crock pot. "I won't have to cook tonight," I mused happily, "and mess up the nice, clean kitchen." Why, then, the moment they left, did I get the overwhelming urge to make Banana bread. It's in the oven now, a recipe that's a conglomeration from various vegan cookbooks like Sweet and Natural, and Sinfully Vegan. Most vegan sweet recipes use liquid sweeteners like maple syrup (and lots of it), I guess because vegan granulated sugar used to be hard to come by, and maybe because they see maple syrup as healthier... Anyway, I prefer granulated organic sugar, partly because of the flavor, and partly because maple syrup is so expensive. So I adapted the recipe to accomodate that. I usually substitute chocolate chips for nuts, but this time, I left the bread unadulterated. I'll try and snap a picture later.

Speaking of my slow cooker, I used it for the first time last week after having it for almost a year! I made an amazing pea soup from Robin Robertson's Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker. Today, I'm making a white bean and rice soup, my own creation: We'll see how it goes. Robin has lots of tempeh recipes in her book that I'm looking forward to trying. I've been feeling like tempeh should be in our diets more, but haven't really done much with it.

Do you have favorite slow cooker recipes?


Technorati Tags:
vegetarian, vegan, slow cooker, crock pot, tempeh

The Spinach Thang

This is a great article about the e-coli outbreak.

Spinach-Tofu Quiche

Spinach-tofu Quiche
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

Seasoned with cider vinegar, mustard and nutritional yeast--I loved the flavor, but didn't think to take good notes, 'cause I was cooking so much that day. I'll have to make it again soon, so I can remember what I did. I made this on Sunday, the same day as the Pot Pie--I was trying to cook ahead because I get so busy during the week. So on Tuesday, when we ate it, it was so nice to have dinner already done! I reheated it in the oven, and the crust was still nice and flakey.

Bowled Over By Basil

Hannah went out of town and left me her share of her family's CSA this week (in exchange for a crochet lesson--did I get a good deal, or what?) Anyway, I picked it up tonight on the way home from my knitting group and was assaulted in the car by the bag of fresh basil... Now my house smells like the stuff. I'm getting hungry just writing about it... Good thing calzone was on the menu already for tomorrow. Along with the basil, there's zucchini and all other manner of squash, huge bags of apples, peaches, nectarines, giant heirloom tomatoes... Must. get. cooking.

Beegee Boogoo Pot Pie

Biscuit-topped pot pie
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

This was a last-minute meal on Sunday--I used a prepared crust,(Wholly Healthy Whole Wheat) frozen veggies, chicken-style seitan, Road's End gravy (yum!) and mixed up some baking powder biscuit dough (from scratch) instead of a second crust for the top. I'd bet this would freeze very well, if you wanted to make something ahead. I should have doubled the biscuit dough, because we all like to eat them on their own with Earth Balance and Agave syrup. When my brother was little he loved biscuits but couldn't say Baking Powder, so he called them Beegee Boogoo Biscuits. We still call them that...

Online Farmers Market

Takoma Park, where I live, has a lovely little farmers market that runs year-round. It's a big community event, very social and fun. Unfortunately, most of the produce is not organic. When I talk to the growers about this, they claim that it's just too hard, or that they were organic, but that the certification is too expensive to maintain. Coming from Seattle, where organic is more the norm than the exception, I was disappointed.

But today, I found out about Star Hollow Farm. They are a local organic grower who sells at a DC farmers market. In order to help their business sell year-round, they instituted a web site where they take orders for produce which they deliver to a few areas around DC (including Takoma!) on Saturday mornings. Unlike a CSA there is no commitment. Also unlike a CSA, you're not getting a share in one farm only. Star Hollow Farms also sells produce from other local growers and the cooperative they belong to in order to increase the breadth of their offerings. (Of course, this makes the more like a grocery-store, but still they have personal connections to all the growers they buy from.)

I'm eager to try it. They have a low minimum (just $12.50), and the prices seem to be similar to what I'd get at our co-op grocery store. And it seems that they do bring you at least one step closer to your food...

Technorati Tags:
organic, local, vegetables

Vegetable Divan

IMG_1985
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

Inspired by Bryanna's Impromtu Dinner I wanted to try my hand at a divan--my mom made turkey divan tons when I was little... My mom used sherry and dijon mustard in hers, so I made a sauce with the sherry, mustard and soy sour cream. I rehydrated the soy curls (love these!) in vegetable broth and used a little broth in the sauce too. I didn't make a bechemel, but I don't think it needed it. I didn't layer, just stirred everything together, and I also omitted the cheese, and just crumbled sprouted grain on top. I really loved it, and so did the fam--I'll be making it again soon, only change, perhaps, is that I'll use more rice next time. Thanks Bryanna!

Fudgey Vegan Brownies

Fudgey Vegan Brownies
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

These brownies were inspired by a recipe at VegWeb--"Rachels Amazing Brownies" but altered significantly to render them less healthy,(more fat & sugar, more everything really) but very, very yummy.

I tested out a Martha trick of lining the brownie pan with an oversized piece of parchment paper--the paper acts as a "sling" and lets you just lift the brownies out of the pan--it worked fabulously.

Tempeh and Wild Rice Salad

IMG_1766.JPG
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

I came up with this salad when I was working for a healthfood store in North Carolina. The store's owner had a recipe for chicken salad that she had gotten off of a container of dried apricots, and she asked me to "veganize" it. It's been a family hit ever since--it has tempeh, mayo, wild rice, dried apricots, parsley and some yummy seasoning.


I made it this year on the Fourth of July, not realizing that I had also made it last Forth of July... not sure why it came to me as an "Independence Day" dish, but perhaps it will be a tradition.

New Picnic Table

New Picnic Table
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

I've been wanting a picnic table for a long time--growing up, my family had a big side porch and we often ate outside. I missed that--but I really wanted a table with separate, not attached benches. These are almost impossible to find. Finally, this summer we found a kit at Target for a table and benches, where they provide the legs, and you add the 2x4s to make the table any size you want. It's hard to see the scale here, but for my birthday, James built me a very. big. table. It's actually eight feet long. He stained it a curry color, which is really beautiful. now we're out there all the time, and we can fit tons of food and lots of people around it.

Veg News August Issue

A bit of shameless self-promotion... My current issue of VegNews just arrived and contains an article by yours truly. It's a profile about The Gentle Barn--an animal sanctuary in southern california. I loved writing this article because Ellie, who runs The Gentle Barn has such a great story.

Technorati Tags:
gentle barn, article, VegNews, vegetarian, vegan, animals, animal rescue

Jennifer's Magical Loaf Studio

Somehow I've missed this up 'till now, but it sure looks like fun...

The Magical Loaf Studio: Create Your Own Adventist-Style Vegan Dinner Loaf!: "
Design Your Own Adventist-Style Vegan Dinner Loaf!

Here's the recipe it created for me:

Amy's Loaf

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cashews
2 TB margarine
One large carrot, peeled and grated
One cup mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, partly mashed
1 cup cooked amaranth
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth, as needed
1/2 cup uncooked Cream of Wheat
2 TB nutritional yeast flakes
Several dashes vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a loaf pan or 8x8 square baking pan
with nonstick spray and set aside (an 8x8 pan makes a crisper loaf).

Grind the cashews into a coarse meal using a food processor or
spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you've chosen in the margarine until soft.
Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining
ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much
liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds
together and is not runny (you may not need to add any
liquid if the grains and protein are very moist).
Add more binder/carbohydrate as needed if the loaf seems too wet.

Press mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes
to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then
turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes,
vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Cold leftover slices of Amy's Loaf make a great
sandwich filling.

Jennifer's Disclaimer: I have not personally tried every
possible combination of ingredients and therefore
cannot vouch for the tastiness or efficacy of every
Dinner Loaf creation. Happy eating!

-------

I haven't made this yet, but I'm looking forward to it!

Not yo' mama's green beans and Lentil Pecan Burgers

Not yo' mama's green beans
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

We went to a potluck at James' boss's house last weekend. I brought this recipe for marinated green beans... I call it "Not Yo' Mama's Green Beans." I used to make it when I was cooking for the health-food store in North Carolina, but I don't remember the genesis of the recipe--I remember adapting it from something else, but I don't remember what.

Anyway--The green beans are marinated with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, shallots and toasted, ground almonds. It's pretty yummy, and makes great picnic food.

We also brought lentil pecan burgers--I love these, they used to be one of Selma's favorites when she was a toddler, and for some reason I haven't maed them in a long time--made with lentils, oats, brown rice and pecans--I make the patties and freeze them so they hold together on the grill. Of course all the non-veg folks wanted to eat them too, I find this always happens. I doubled the recipe so we'd have lots of leftovers, and my cousin Johanna and I ate burgers for lunch all week long--yum! I like to have the burgers with godess dressing, but they're good with the usual (I'm sorry we don't have a picture, but I think we'll be making them again soon.)

Selma's Surprise Breakfast

Selma's Surprise Breakfast
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

Whole foods had organic raspberries on sale and I discovered this new product--organic soy whipped cream in a can--it tastes great and doesn't have very much sugar... 2 T. is less than 2 g. Very yummy!

Seitan with Cashews

My cousin Johanna is spending the summer at my house and we've resolved to help each other eat more healthfully--it's great having someone else to give you will power... We're avoiding refined sugar and white flour, but other than that, we're just trying to eat healthy, fresh, whole foods.

We were in a hurry tonight, and had to eat out of the pantry/fridge. I love the frozen organic brown rice from Trader Joe's. Since I'm often coming up with dinner ideas at the last minute--I sometimes don't have time to cook brown rice from scratch--I can heat this up in a couple of minutes, and it tastes great. Of course, when I think ahead, I still love to get out the rice cooker.

So I diced up some chicken-style seitan, and sautéed it with frozen snow-peas and broccoli. I made a sauce with corn-starch, water, tamari, a tiny bit of agave syrup and gomaiso (a seaweed and sesame-seed seasoning).

We served it over the rice--it was a big hit with all but baby Jay, who's a bit of a picky eater--he liked the rice, but he still prefers his food unseasoned--i.e. raw tofu, plain vegetables. He will it pasta with tomato sauce, so maybe there's hope! I've read that children need to be exposed to new food sometimes dozens of times before they develop a taste for it.

Tofu Primavera

Last night, my air conditioning was on the fritz and the temp outside was a balmy 96 degrees. My friend Ally invited us over for dinner--she was making a shrimp pasta dish, so I said I'd whip up a tofu sauce... I cubed tofu, and sautéed in olive oil, until it started to brown, then I added mushrooms and some herbs to season. I tossed in a handful of flower, and let the flour brown a little, and then de-glazed with soy milk to make a béchamel sauce. I added frozen peas, cracked pepper, a little salt and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. It was a great topping for the pasta--we served steamed asparagus on the side. I don't have a picture because I was at the neighbors, but even though I thought I had made a lot, it was devoured by the omnivores in the house.

Robot Boulanger

That's what my bread machine is called in French--I know this because the instruction manual is bi-lingual. I much prefer to call it Robot Boulanger (or Robot B-pronounced "RowBow Bay", for short. I really like the idea of a robot making my bread.

At any rate, in the middle of a thunderstorm last night, James and Selma decided we needed more bread. (This is the main drawback of homemade bread--you eat more of it. Lots. More.) So they loaded up the machine--I lobbied and won for an experiment making vegan buttermilk wheat--we substituted soy milk mixed with lemon-juice for the buttermilk. But I didn't have high hopes--I personally would never bake in a thunderstorm--barametric pressure definitely effects the way things rise. But Robot B. defies convention--he produced a beautiful loaf that is now almost gone. (less than twelve hours after it was made.)

OK, I didn't take a picture, because really, this loaf looks just like the last one--but it really does taste like a buttermlk loaf as I remember it--the crust is awesome, almost baguette-like, and inside the bread is nice and chewy and a little bit denser than a regular white or wheat loaf with smaller holes. This would make great sandwich bread if we'd stop eating it right off the loaf.

Technorati Tags:
vegan, vegetarian, cooking, bread

Cracked Wheat Bread Recipe

We had a request for James' veganized version of the Cracked Wheat Bread, so here goes:

1 1/2 C. water
2 T. Fearn Powdered Soya (or other powdered soy milk--we use this one because it's simple--no added sugar or other ingredients, and it's cheaper--it's not, however, organic.)
2 T. Spectrum Organic Shortening
2 T. Agave Syrup
1 1/2 t. salt
1 c. stone ground whole wheat flour
2 1/4 c. unbleached flour
3/4 c. fine bulgar (cracked wheat)
1 1/4 t. yeast
a small amount of vegetable oil

If you're making this by hand, dissolve the yeast in the water warmed to a tepid temperature, and mixed with the agave syrup. Allow the yeast to proof (form bubbles on top.)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and bulgar. Add the water/yeast mixture and the shortening and combine, then knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and place in a warm spot to double.

When the dough has doubled, punch it down and form into a round or shape into a loaf, lightly oil the dough, and place onto a baking sheet or in a greased loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise again for 30 minutes.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes or until crust is firm and golden brown.

If you're using a bread machine, follow the general instructions for your bread machine--ours has us load the ingredients in the order listed above, set the machine to the whole grain setting and begin. (James says, "If you're using a delayed setting, make a small well in the flour and put the yeast in the well to protect the yeast from touching the water and activating before the baking process starts.")

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vegan, vegetarian, recipe, bread

Homemade Bread

Thanks John Markos for your guest post! We've been doing some baking in our house too.



Selma and James have gotten out the bread machine--it's been idle for a few years now. We used to make bread almost every day when we first got it. It's an older model--the kind that makes the tall loaves--but the recipes that came with it are very good (especiallly if James prepares them, for some reason, I don't have as good luck with baking in a machine, I like to get my hands in the dough.)

At any rate, tonight they made a cracked wheat loaf. It finished after everyone else went to bed and I just had to steal a little taste while it was still warm... So good--very crusty on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.

They make a few adaptations to the recipe to veganize it--Fearn Soya powder instead of dry milk, spectrum organic shortening instead of crisco (of course crisco's vegan but not very healthy.)

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vegan, vegetarian, cooking, bread

Careful with that Replegg!

Hello, I'm John Markos O'Neill, Amy's brother and a guest poster.

For my wife's first Mother's Day (we have an 11 month old), Amy (my sister) and my mother encouraged me to make a vegan version of the simple coffee cake from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. This version replaces the milk with soy milk and the egg with egg replacer. I told Amy that I think "egg replacer" is a pretty sad name for an egg substitute. They should use something snappier, like Replegg!

Sara (my wife) and John Haley (my son) went out for an afternoon hike on Saturday. This gave me the chance to make the cake.

So anyway, we had pretty much everything in the recipe in our cupboard except for pecans. I guess we already ate the pecans that Grandma Jean gave us for Christmas. I went down to Good Life, the local grocery, about six blocks away from our house. They had little bags of pecans for over ten dollars and at first I thought there was no alternative. Then I realized they had pecans in the tiny bulk section -- it's a small grocery. These were much less expensive, I think four dollars in total, for enough to make two cakes.

If you're using egg replacer, you should make sure that you use the correct ratio of Replegg to water. When I was making the cake, I mistakenly used tablespoons of Replegg instead of the teaspoons indicated by the egg replacer box. This made the cake's consistency a little funny. I didn't realize that I had goofed until after the cake had been baking for a while. Also, the recipe called for crushed pecans. However, I didn't do a very good job of distributing them evenly over the cake.

I called my mother and sister and asked them for help. At first I couldn't get my mother on the phone so I talked to my Dad instead. He convinced me to go for another try. Amy and I agreed that I had used the wrong ratio of Replegg to water. Also, my mother implied that I shouldn't just crush the pecans but rather that I should chop them as well. I quizzed her a little more on this. "So when you make this cake, you usually chop the pecans?" She said that yes, she did.

I had everything I needed except for brown sugar, which I bought at Chiotras grocery next door. This time I did everything correctly and the coffee cake came out nicely. Whereas the first (bad) cake was a little too doughy and flat and had a slight baking soda aftertaste, the second (good) cake was fluffy and springy and tasted like a coffee cake should.

Lesson: always remember that baking is a very precise activity, really a form of domestic chemistry. If you don't follow the directions to the letter, peril will ensue.

Anyway, Sara and John Haley got home a little earlier than I expected them to so they saw both versions of the cake. As it turns out, Sara really liked both of them! Amy told me later, "I forgot to tell you -- Sara really likes this cake." John Haley tasted a bit of it too -- I think it is the sweetest thing he's ever had. We took the "good" cake to a picnic on Sunday and it was a big hit with our friends.

coffee cake, Mother's Day, vegan, vegetarian

More Old Favorites

I wanted tofu for dinner, but didn't want to stand over the stove frying it, so I unearthed a recipe Selma used to love as a toddler (and I always loved it too!) It's sesame baked tofu from The Lucky Palate a meal delivery service I used to work with. My friend and former owner and chef, Devra Gartenstein has a cookbook, The Accidental Vegan that spells out this simple, but yummy and "grounding" as Dev says, recipe. I always adapt it a bit using more tahini, less soy sauce, a little water--I baked almost 2 pounds of tofu, so I'll have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. The great thing about it is, it's low-mess--you can mix the sauce in the baking pan, and then just put the tofu in make sure it's coated and put it in the oven.

I served it with basmati rice and haricots verts (which Selma steamed herself, she was very proud).

Anyone else have baked tofu recipes they love?

Technorati Tags:
book, vegan, vegetarian, recipe, dinner, cooking, tofu

Pasta and Lentils and Artichokes, Oh My!

We had an old standby tonight that I hadn't made in a long time. "Pasta with Lentils and Artichoke Hearts" from The Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Cookbook One of my favorite all-time collections. I had a fiber arts class to teach in the afternoon--and I never want to cook after I get back from class, so I decided to do a bit of prep earlier in the afternoon. I chopped my onions, cooked the pasta, cooked the lentils, so it was just a matter of heating and assembly when i got back... Yummy! The flavors are cumin, coriander and lemon juice mixed with the red lentils, tomatoes and artichokes. I left out the red pepper flakes that give it a nice bite because of the kids, but I put them on the table so folks could add them if they wanted--kids and adults all cleared their plates and I have lots of leftovers--yeah!

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vegan, vegetarian, dinner, cooking, pasta, moosewood

Here's the

IMG_1353.JPG
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

Fried tofu and macaroni salad I wrote about the other day when I was having network issues... We've switched from DSL back to cable and things are much better...

Pinto-dillas

IMG_1360.JPG
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

This used to be a frequent quick meal in our house, but I hadn't made them in a while... Tortillas, refried beans, nutritional yeast... Grilled and topped with salsa, avocado and lime. We had them on Friday night, with great success...

I took a picture but...

I spent far too much time repairing my DSL connection, and I now don't have the energy to upload, etc. Anyway, tonight we had fried tofu--coated with nutritional yeast and sprinkled only with salt. So yummy. I may have said this before, but I think the secret to making good fried tofu is patience. In fact, I used to think it needed to be breaded, but it doesn't really need anything at all... just some oil and enough time to form a crust.

We also had a macaroni salad--simple, easy--macaroni, frozen mixed veggies (which I didn't steam, I just let the hot pasta thaw them), mayo (any variety--I sometimes make my own with silken tofu, but this time used a jar), chopped black olives, yellow mustard, black pepper. It was very yummy too-but I found the peas and corn in the mixed veggies to be a little sweet--so next time I might counteract with some more spices, or use different veggies.

Now that the weather's nice, Selma's been asking for potato salad too--so I think I'll add that to the menu for this week. Maybe with some baked beans... mmmm...

I also wanted to mention, that I haven't been able to comment recently on others' blogs because my DSL connection had ground to a virtual halt--I could read posts in my aggregator, but pages would time out when I tried to click over to comment--I'm sorry everyone. I hope this gets fixed soon!

Cool Kool-aid

Since I haven't been doing much actual cooking, I thought I'd cross-post this quasi-culinary entry from my Fiber blog... Enjoy!

Cool Kool-aid: "Selma, her friend Elise and I did an experiment today with Kool-aid dyeing. Using some Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool and red (Fruit Punch) yellow (pineapple and mango) and blue (blue raspberry lemonade). We wanted to compare dyeing in the microwave to the 'sun tea' method.

Following the general guidlines of Kristi's Knitty article, we used ziploc bags for the 'sun tea' dyes and glass dishes for"

(Via The Hook and I.)

No food news...

Still trying to eat out of the pantry--we had veggie dogs for dinner, but I thought you might enjoy this quasi-culinary link (well, there's an egg mentioned...)

The Store at Home

James is out of town, the babysitter is on vacation... Basic household tasks are more of an adventure with kids in tow, so I've avoided grocery shopping in favor of reducing bulging cupboard stores.

Tonight, whole wheat spaghetti with sauce from a jar--doctored with herbs, marinated artichoke hearts, and chick peas. Served with steamed broccoli. I didn't figure it warranted a picture, but the kids liked it, and for once, I have plenty of leftovers. Yeah!!

Technorati Tags:
vegan, vegetarian, dinner, cooking, italian, pasta

I should have taken a picture

I'm staying with my friend Cynthia in Seattle--last night she made homemade avocado sushi, it was delicious! (And beautifully presented) Her sushi rice is just great--she uses rice vinegar and a little sugar. To go with the sushi, we had edamame, vegan spring rolls and pot stickers.

On my first night here, I was staying with my friends Hans and Steph, and we got take out from one of the best Thai restaurants I've ever eaten at which just happens to be right here in hip, happenin' West Seattle. I ordered Rama Tofu and Phad See Ew (minus the egg, extra tofu). It was just as I remembered. Yum.

They have the best potatoes here in Washington State. I miss having great vegetables year-round now that I'm in Maryland. I was picking some things up from Hans and Steph's house last night, and they were just finishing dinner. Hans wanted me to taste the fingerlings that he had cooked in olive oil and rosemary--they just melt in your mouth. They're tiny and good. I don't think he even par-boiled them.

Tonight Cynthia and I are making our very favorite peanut curry, so stay tuned!

Seattle Bound

The kids and I are headed to Seattle tomorrow for Spring Break--so I probably won't be doing much cooking--tho' Stef, who I'm staying with for part of the trip has just taken a Pad Thai class and wants to fill me in on some secrets she learned, so there may be a little bit. I do expect we'll be eating some great food, so I'll try and post once or twice. Have a great week, everyone!

Polenta Lasagne

Tonight we had a veganized version of the Polenta Lasagna with Creamy Mushroom Sauce from the current issue of Vegetarian Times. It was creamy and good. I don't make recipes from magazines very often, but Selma loves polenta, and I had been searching for some new ways to serve it. I used to make recipes all the time from Natural Health magazine--back when they were vegan.

Technorati Tags:
vegetarian, recipe, dinner, cooking, italian

Not Posting, But Still Eating...

I've haven't had much computer time the last few days--no babysitter and lots of knitting to do. On Monday night, I was looking through The Garden of Vegan for some inspiration and I came across a peanut butter noodle recipe. I didn't want noodles, but the sauce sounded good... I fried some tofu with sesame seeds, made my own version of the peanut sauce which included peanut butter, soy sauce, vegan worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and some hot water. The sauce coated 1 lb of tofu and 1 lb. of broccoli nicely. I also made my Rice Balls but didn't have time to make the simmered sauce, so I just mixed soy sauce and agave for a sort of teriyaki sauce.

It was delicious--but for the three of us, we had less than 1/2 cup of the broccoli and tofu left--there were a few rice balls left over which were great cold the next day.

Technorati Tags:
vegan, vegetarian, recipe, dinner, cooking, tofu

A Nice Surprise!

After an afternoon with a dozen crazy 6-8 year-old crocheters, I came home and was surprised to see James was already here... He'd picked up the baby from my neighbor's and they were wrestling on the bed. I threw myself down, exhausted... "I don't want to make dinner!"

"Do you want me to make it?" He asked... Awesome. James (who's not vegetarian but happily eats that way at home) made Emfudeky (phonetic spelling), It's a Syrian family recipe, which is basically a clean out the fridge stir-fry. We eat it with toast. Yum.

I rarely, if ever, post off-topic, but I got this e-mail from my brother today, and I just had to share:

I created this ad for the 2007 Chevy Tahoe. Enjoy.

http://www.chevyapprentice.com/view.php?country=us&uniqueid=5e09558a-119c-1029-98eb-0013724ff5a7

More on this campaign and its subversion.

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/004255.html

I'm looking forward to seeing more of these ads. Do you think Chevy had no idea this would happen? I guess some ads have already been censored. I wonder how long John's will stay....

A Food Meme?

Ruthie mentioned TVP corn dogs the other day, and Katie took the idea and ran with it making mini-stuffed corn muffins. I couldn't get the idea out of my head so tonight I tried it--a few changes: I used regular sized muffin tins, I also used Gimme Lean sausage instead of TVP (not pre-cooked) and I added a heaping teaspoon of Salsa on top of the sausage.

The Verdict? The cornbread is a little too sweet--we all agreed these will be better tomorrow for breakfast. If I do it again, I might reduce the sugar and add some green chilis and Follow Your Heart cheese to the batter... They were easy to make, though--to go along with them we had steamed spinich tossed with Earth Balance and Vegan Parm. Selma ate tons of it!

Off the wagon already!!

I was teaching tonight, and was out driving the mom wagon until 5:30, so cooking was sort of out of the question... I should have planned ahead earlier in the day, but lacked inspiration--I gotta be reading these great vegan blogs you all have more! We had frozen pesto pizza with tomatoes and broccoli (yum) and the new Muir Glen canned organic split pea soup--too salty, but pretty nice flavor--not so great texture. It made me want to make my own pea soup!

Dinner Diary

After a winter of trying to avoid cooking as much as possible, I've resolved to cook more and eat better. So tonight I pulled out the recipe books. From The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Joann Stepniak, I made Cheesy Broccoli Rice--it was quick and easy takes just one pan and got rave reviews from James and Selma. I contemplated adding some tofu to the casserole to have a one-dish meal, but decided against it. Instead, I made Amazing Oregano and Olive Fried Tofu from VegWeb--it was really yummy and disappeared completely--so much for leftovers! I used to cook everything in huge quantities, and now I'm just as likely to make "just enough." I need to think bigger. Not sure what I'm making tomorrow, any ideas?

Technorati Tags: vegan recipe vegetarian food

Selma Turns Six!

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Originally uploaded by plainsight.

Selma chose a Scooby-Doo theme for her sixth birthday... The cake is a double layer version of my Creamsicle Cupcakes which I hadn't made since last summer. For frosting I made a vegan buttercream loosly based on a recipe from VegWeb. (I added more chocolate, some orange juice and changed the proportions.)The cake vanished, so we don't even have any leftovers for tonight! I'll be making a batch of cupcakes tonight to bring to Selma's school tomorrow.


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