Friday, October 8, 2010

Fresh Market Breakfast

Greek yogurt with homemade granola and fresh figs

I love my new job! It has inspired me to get cooking again. (Finally!) This was breakfast this morning. Quick and tasty!

Mini Mushroom and Broccoli Quiche (Not Vegan)

I have been broke lately, so I have been eating eggs. I made these mini quiches for dinner last night. Super easy!

mini quiche in the making


Beautiful Beets!

beautiful beets!

I brought these beets back from my trip to New York, and they are beautiful! I made them into some little puff pastry tarts.

Full menu? Read more!

Delilah!

Delilah

The newest addition to our family!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Chewy Carmel Popcorn and Pretzel Bars

I tried this recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. It is NOT vegan. The flavors are delicious, I tried substituting equal parts almond milk for cream... which made the bars not stick together as well. They were quite delicious, but I had to eat them with a fork!

popcorn/pretzel treats!

Click read more for recipe!

BBQ Tempeh Tacos

Wow... it's been forever since I posted something! I got this recipe from a neat little company in Asheville, North Carolina that makes their own tempeh from scratch... Smiling Hara Tempeh. You can find this recipe on their blog! Their tempeh was by far the most delicious tempeh I've ever had. Unfortunately, they don't believe in providing their product to anyone but locals, so the only way to get it is to travel to Asheville!

Even if you can't get fresh made tempeh, the store bought stuff works, too. This recipe is a quick and delicious meal when you don't have all night to spend in the kitchen! Enjoy.

BBQ tempeh tacos

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Fresh Tomato Cocktail

fresh tomato cocktail!

I had a tasty drink in Asheville and tried to duplicate it at home! It wasn't as delicious as in asheville, but it's a fun play on a classic bloody mary.

1 fresh tomato juiced + lime juice + tequila + a few shreds of basil + a dash of cayenne. salt + pepper rim. yum.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Meanie Greenie Pizza Pie

vegan green machine pizza

Lately, I've been addicted to buying whole wheat pizza dough and making pizzas. It's only something like $1.75 for enough dough for a whole pizza at my local Sweetbay Supermarket. It's great, because I hate working with yeast... half of the time it doesn't even work.

I made up some creamy vegan pesto from all the basil I have out back! It is: silken tofu (I had some leftover), basil, walnuts and a dash of nutritional yeast. I added zuccini, olives and tomato sauce (I can't have a pizza without it!).

Veg Breakfast Delight!

veg breakfast

English muffin with zuccini and grilled tofu, potato scramble and fakin' bacon!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Pot Pie Veggies


That is all.

Raw Zuccini Wraps

This recipe is still in the works, but this was a pretty good first attempt. Basically like a bite-sized salad! Zuccini, blended cashews, garlic, onion and sprouts, topped with a raw tomato sauce.


Miami Pizza



Friday, June 11, 2010

The Taste of Summer... Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake and Broccoli Pizza

After being off of my feet for far too long, I am finally getting back to (semi) normal walking. I've moved into a new apartment and finally have a kitchen to call my own again! First baked treat out of the oven? Definitely a vegan cheesecake. I also made pizza with broccoli, marinated mushrooms and garlic. Our first meal in our new place! Recipe and photos follow.


Monday, March 22, 2010

Stupid broken foot.

Well, I haven't posted in a while, and don't plan to. Why? Because on the way to work this week, I crashed my freshly purchased Peugeot. I was, of course, running late, so I was hauling ass. A truck pulls right out in front of me and I literally do not have time to brake at all. So I slam into the truck at full speed.
This is my pretty little bike before the accident. After?
Yep... that's right. This is her afterwards. Completely screwed. I'm not sure yet if the frame is bent or just the front forks. So here's my cast!
I broke a bone on the inside of my heel. It's going to be a month minimum to heal... could be longer. At least Diego's keeping me company!

So needless to say, I'm going to be living off of mostly freezer food and instant stuff, because I can't cook very much. :(

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Mini polenta pot pies.

After an amazing afternoon nap yesterday, I was watching Food Network. On a typical day, I'd be watching CSI or Law and Order or whatever looks good. You see, I have a terrible addiction to channel flipping. But, seeing as I temporarily misplaced the remote (which translates to, I was too lazy to get up and look for it) I watched all of 30 minute meals. So now that I've made a short story long, I will tell you about the recipe I tried tonight. This dish came out grrreat. I did a vegan version of Racheal Ray's tarragon-cream chicken and polenta pot pies.

In my pot-pies, I used a Field Roast Chipotle sausage, and used some soaked cashews to make the polenta a little richer. Really, really delicious... I will definitely be making this again. And, I got picked up these cute red little ramekins from Bialetti. You can't even say it without sounding Italian.

Sorry for the lazy photo.

Monday, March 8, 2010

How to make a beet sandwich.

Step one. Preheat the oven to 400degrees.



 Step two. Prepare the beets. Clip the greens (save 'em and sautee 'em up!) and wash the beets thoroughly. You have to scrub beets pretty good... just be warned that they turn everything red. Including your pee!

Trim stems and tops as close to the ends as possible. Slice beets about 1/4in thick. Add to oven safe dish and toss with just enough olive oil to coat (about 2 tsp for one bunch). Add a dash of salt and pepper and cover with tin foil. Put in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove and stir. Add 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and toss to combine, and put back in the oven for 10-20 minutes. They are ready when a fork pierces them easily. Make the sauce while you're waiting.


Step three. Make the sauce. This is an easy and delicious addition to your sandwich. In a small cup, add about 1 1/2 Tbsp of vegan cream cheese. To that, add 1 tsp or 1 wedge of lemon. Take 1/2 clove garlic and chop thouroughly. Crush the garlic bits with the tip of your knife to completely crush the garlic into a paste (I learned this trick from Bobby Flay!). You just don't want any big chunks of garlic to overpower.


Stir the garlic, lemon and cream cheese together until consistent throughout. If the cream cheese is cold, pop the mixture in the microwave for a few seconds. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

Step four. Build your sandwich. Get out two slices of your choice of bread. Toast if desired. Add a thin layer of the sauce to both sides of the bread. Top with a layer of beets, greens(romaine, baby greena, spinach) and a couple slices of fresh tomato.

Step five. Cut in half and enjoy! Pat yourself on the back... your mom would be proud to see you eating beets.


This sandwich idea inspired by a delicious, seasonal sandwich served at the Sentient Bean. <3

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Long time, no update.

Soooo, I've been on an extended vacation! Here's a quick update to catch you up to speed... I am now a writer and producer for a Vancouver based news blog called NowPublic. Check it out!

I went down to Florida to visit my Grandma for two weeks. It was wonderful! I went to an awesome VW show, with hundreds of busses.

Here's a sculpture Mike did of a naked lady for Nude Nite.
back... naked lady sculpture

I've started mentoring two girls, they love to cook, too! And here are some tasty food shots! Expect a cooking how-to video this week.







carrot bran muffins

sweet potatoes and fancy pasta salad

Local fishies, broccoli, sweet potatoes and salad.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

My product was featured on an eco-blog!

I was featured on Eco-Friends.org! My project idea for a family-friendly energy and water monitor was discussed in an article. Read the full article here!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Comfort Food + Homemade Croutons

























I was craving some serious comfort food, so I roasted up some tomatoes and onions to make some tomato soup! I paired with with a grilled sauerkraut and cheese. It was sooo delicious, but missing something... I still need to perfect it, so I'll post the good recipe when I do. I'm not sure if anyone has tried the Lisanatte brand vegan almond cheese, but it's amazingly delicious. I tried the Monterey Jack variety. Not very Monterey tasting, but mm mm good none-the-less.

Another point of making the soup and sandwich, was to use up a loaf of bread that's going stale. I love fresh baked bread, but it always goes stale so quickly. An easy way to use up the bread is to make croutons for soup or salad.

To make croutons:
Break bread into small pieces. Add a dash of olive oil, 1 clove chopped garlic, and a dash of salt. Mix thoroughly in a bowl. Add to a cookie sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Ta-da!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Raw collard taquitos... Asian style.

This super simple recipe came out great! I know, I know... the name is a slaughtering of traditions and heritage. I'll have to come up with something better later. Tonight for dinner, I was lazy and sauteed some veggies with some spicy simmer sauce over rice. So, to compensate, I wanted to make some raw salad rolls. I also still have a huge stack of collard leaves in the fridge, so I wanted to use them as well. I will definitely be wrapping these up again!

The peanut sauce was from the Live! Recipe Book. I would highly recommend this cook book to anyone wishing to dabble in raw food. Everything I've made is delicious! The sauce is a combination of ginger, miso, vinegar, tahini (I used peanut butter), agave, soy sauce/nama soya and black pepper.

Makes 2-4 servings

Ingredients:
6 small to medium size collard leaves
1/2 head cauliflower, rinsed and leaves removed
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp miso
1 lime, squeezed
1 avocado
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
salt and pepper
 
Directions:
To prepare collard leaves, trim thick portions and excess length. Next, marinate the collard leaves for an hour or so in half of the lime juice, 1 Tbsp olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. (Marinating is optional, but suggested) If you marinate the leaves, they are a little easier on the stomach and softer to chew, but a little messier. If you don't marinate the leaves, they are a little tougher (still tasty), but stay together much better. 'Massage' the collards for a minute or two to make sure everything is fully mixed.

Next, prepare your filling. In a food processor, add cauliflower in large pieces (stems don't need to be trimmed), garlic, olive oil, and miso. Pulse until consistency of rice. Stir in a dash of salt and pepper and set aside. Next, prepare your avocado my removing skin and pit, and mashing with a fork. Stir in lime juice and set aside.

To make the wraps:
I chose to do little skinny taquito wraps, but you can also do classic burrito style. Just remember, portions might need to be modified to accomodate different leaf sizes. Add about 2 heaping Tbsp of cauliflower mixture to the center of the wrap. Top with 1 Tbsp avocado and a sprinkling of onion. Wrap them up and set them on a plate! Serve with peanut sauce.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Easy Chunky Beet Soup


























I had leftover veggie broth from the spicy tempeh I made last night and also had beets in the fridge. So... it was only natural that I combine the two and make some beet soup! This soup is very easy, but hearty and delicious.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Ingredients:

2 cups veggie broth
3 small or 2 large beets with greens
3 cloves garlic
1/2 medium red onion
4 or 5 collard or kale stems (leaves removed)
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp agave nectar or maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
dash of cayenne

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare veggies: Wash beets and greens thouroughly. Remove the top of the beet where it meets the stems and discard. Slice beets in 1/4in thick pieces. Slice greens and stems in about 1 in pieces. Peel the red onion and slice into large, 1/2in chuncks. Peel garlic. Chop collard stems in 1 in pieces.

Add all veggies to a medium sized baking dish. Add spices, oil, vinegar and agave. Toss all ingredients to coat.

Cover and bake for 30-45 minutes... until beets are soft in the center.



In a blender, add veggie broth and the roasted veggies. Puree for 1 minute or until a consistent texture is achieved. If desired, top with some sour cream (or vegan substitute)and chives. Serve with a toasted piece of crusty bread!

Mini vegan feast: Spicy cajun tempeh


Tonight, I made dinner for dad and Jen. Cajun spiced tempeh (protein), sweet collards with raisins (green leafy veggie and fruit), whipped sweet potatoes (veggie) and southwest orzo pasta (grain). I've been trying to include a little bit of everything when I'm planning dinner.

The tempeh and collards are both from Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry. This cookbook is amazing. Being (mostly) vegan/vegetarian AND from the South, I have definitely felt a void of these types of recipes for a few years now. Bryant speaks in simple terms about each recipe, gives a brief background of their origin and even gives you a suggested soundtrack to listen to while cooking them! In his recipes, Bryant tries to waste as little as possible... using even the rinds of watermelon! He also talks about eating and cooking seasonally. Who would have thought! His delicious tempeh recipe is below. Some other great recipes you'll find in the cookbook: succotash soup with garlicky cornbread croutons, baked bbq black eyed peas, upper Caribbean creamy grits with roasted plantain pieces, and many more. If you enjoy the recipe, I highly suggest his cookbook! You can find it for only $8 on Amazon.

Cajun-creole-spiced tempeh pieces:




Ingredients:
1 8oz. package tempeh
2 cups veggie stock
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp white pepper
 olive oil for frying

Directions:
Cut tempeh into 1/2-in cubes.


In a medium saucepan, heat veggie stock to a boil. Add tempeh pieces and bring back to a boil. Cover and lower to medium-high heat. Simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the head and drain the tempeh in a colander (reserve stock for future use!), and let pieces dry out on a paper towel for for about 30 minutes.

In a medium-sized paper bag, combine the rest of the spices. Shake to combine and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1-2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add tempeh pieces. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes to brown evenly. Remove tempeh from pan and immediately transfer to paper bag of spices. Close bad and shake vigorously until all pieces are coated well with the seasoning, about 1 minute. That's it!

I'm a Florida driver!

So I am officially a Florida resident... complete with voluntary organ donation, voter registration and drivers license. Woot!

























I also bought a car! It's an Acura RSX-S. The tag office had a ton of cute tags to choose from, but I went with one that had a clown fish on it to supprt Florida aquaculture. Finally, I'm completely free and mobile again! <3


Saturday, January 16, 2010

What's up with bee pollen? And a recipe to incorporate.

I've had this stuff on top of a delicious vegan shake before, but I never really knew what it was all about. While visiting our downtown farmer's market this weekend, I came across a bag of the stuff. The local bee keeper told me about some of the benefits of honey and the pollen, so I figured I'd give it a try.



Bee pollen has been considered a 'superfood' for many years, and even spoken about in ancient Chinese and Egyptian texts. To find out what I learned about in my research, and an easy recipe to incorporate bee pollen into your diet, click Read More!


Kopi Luwak: priciest coffee on Earth

I was watching Modern Marvels and I just wanted to share about something I learned. The episode was all about coffee, and I had great fun watching it. One thing I just couldn't go without sharing is a little tidbit mentioned about the most expensive coffee on Earth. The coffee sells for about $100 to $600 per pound.

What makes this coffee so expensive you might ask? The beans are actually eaten and passed through the digestion system of an Asian Palm Civet, a cat-like critter. Unbelievably, the beans pass through, undigested. So there you have it.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Raw dinner: kale bites with tomatoes and spicy carrot filling.


Tonight I decided to do a raw dish for dinner. I had leftover pulp from juicing some carrots and other veggies, so I wanted that to be my base. I knew about what type of flavors I wanted, and the result was pretty delicious!! These would also be a great appetizer if you wrap the kale like a little taco with a toothpick. Here is the recipe.

Spicy carrot 'meat' filling


Ingredients:
1 cup veggie pulp (mine was from 2 carrots, half a cucumber and a pear)
1 Tbsp ground flax seed
2 Tbsp walnuts
2 Tbsp nama shoyu or soy sauce
3 scallions, mostly white parts
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice (about half of a large lemon)
1 tsp raw agave
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp cumin
dash of salt and pepper
1/2 tsp mustard seed (optional)

Directions:
 Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until nice and smooth. Add an additional tbsp olive oil or water if your blender/food processor is struggling.




For the raw kale bites:

Take 2 or 3 stalks of kale and wash. Remove leaves from stems in large, but bite-sized pieces. Pat dry and put in a bowl. Add a few Tbsps of olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, and a light sprinkling of salt. Massage with your hands until all of the leaves are fully coated in the marinade.

On a plate, lay out a piece of kale, about 1 tsp of the filling, and a slice of fresh tomato or sundried tomato.

Eat them up!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Roasted butternut squash, stuffed with veggies and quinoa, along side a vegan caesar salad.



Tonight, I made dinner for dad and I! It's been a little while since we've had dinner together, so I wanted to fix up something tasty! We had a butternut squash left over from Christmas dinner, so I know I wanted to use that. Here is dad, posing with the grub!

For easy roasted butternut squash, mix up this savory/sweet marinade!

2 Tbsp maple syrup or dark agave
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp, each, fresh chopped oregano and thyme
1/4 tsp salt

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl, adding olive oil last.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice squash in half and scoop out seeds. In a baking dish large enough to accomodate both halves, pour 1/4 cup water. Add squash, flesh side up. Brush on marinade and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until all flesh is tender.

While squash is cooking, prepare filling.

Other ingredients:
quinoa (red or white)
veggie boullion cube
red onion
1 large carrot
olive oil
vinegar
chopped walnuts or pine nuts

In a small saucepan, add 2 cups water, 1 cup quinoa, and a veggie boullion cube. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to simmer and cover. Quinoa is done with liquid is evaporated.

While quinoa is cooking, dice two cloves of garlic and chop 1/4 red onion and 1 large carrot. Heat 2 tsp olive oil to a saute pan over medium/high heat. Add veggies. Saute until soft (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and a dash of rice wine or red wine vinegar. Cover and keep on low.

When squash is done, sprinkle with pepper and place on plate. Combine the cooked quinoa, veggies and leftover marinade from the squash baking dish. Add 1/4 cup nuts to the mixture. Mix together and fill each half of squash with the mixture!

 Easy vegan ceasar dressing...

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Vegannaise
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp fresh or dried italian herbs
1 Tbsp olive oil
Dash of salt and pepper 
1 tsp ground flax seed (optional)

Add all ingredients to a food processor, except oil. Blend together. When ready to use, blend in olive oil. Chop fresh Romaine lettuce and coat with dressing. Add an avocado for extra creaminess!

Veggie spirals with sundried tomatoes and fresh herbs.


I























I threw together this tasty and simple pasta after work today. I boiled up some tri-colored, veggie pasta. In some hot pepper olive oil, I sauteed up some chopped garlic, fresh oregano and thyme and slices of veggie Italian sausage. I threw in some julienne cut sundried tomatoes, and then added the pasta back to the pan. I let it all cook for another minute or two and then tossed on some crushed red pepper flakes.

Mmmm mmmm, good.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Happy trails.... to you...

So I'm spending the weekend in Austin. It's freezing cold here (like everywhere else in the country at the moment), so I've done very little walking around! Until today, that is. Just thought I would share my wonderful foodie experiences of the day.

I walked for a couple of blocks down Congress St in South Austin. There are about a dozen, or two, cute little shops around, featuring neat antiques, locally made goods and foods. I picked up a few little trinkets, including a great photograph of a Horny Toad, from a guy on the street! (Definitely going on the wall of the camper). The prices of most stores are surprisingly reasonable. Most places were not very touristy, which was also a plus.

After a few hours of window shopping, I wanted to look around for a place to grab a snack. Low and behold, I stumble upon a chili competition! While this doesn't exactly sound like a dream find for a vegetarian, I was in luck. The host of the competition, Jo's Coffee, cooked up a pot of veggie chili just my kind of clientele. The teller suggested I try the 'veggie chili frito pie'... and I'm so glad I did.

A 'frito pie', I found out, is a layer of frito's topped with the chili, with a few more fritos sprinkled on top. I topped with with some raw chopped red onions and fresh squeezed lime juice. Sided up with a Lone Star ("Texas born, Texas brewed"), this gem only set me back $7. The actual chili was quite flavorful, but not too spicy. They used chickpeas instead of the traditional kidney bean, which I thought was a great choice. I sat and enjoyed the atmosphere for a little while and went on with my journey.

My next sweet find of the day, was this little streamliner diner, Hey Cupcake!

Hey cupcake! just sells delicious cupcakes. They even had 3 vegan options, including chocolate peanut butter, spiced orange, and carrot cake (my obvious choice). They even have an option for a free injection of whipped cream into the middle of any cupcake you purchase! For only $2.50 a pop, I'm hoping to stop by this Streamliner every day until I leave. This is definitely a must if you are in the neighborhood.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

First meal back!


Sorry this picture is kind of crappy... I was starving! This was the first really solid meal I've eaten in two days. After getting back from New Orleans, I caught a terrible stomach bug! It was no good.

So for my first meal back, I did a vegan 'steak and potatoes'. I made some quick mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy. For the tempeh, I cut it in large pieces and marinated it in some lemon juice, fresh chopped garlic, salt and pepper, a splash of olive oil and some Bragg's amino acids (I'm addicted to this stuff!).

My favorite part of the meal, however, was the roasted onions. They came out fabulously... and I would definitely make them again! I was following a recipe from Barefoot Contessa. Now, Ina Garten is one of those Food Network stars that I literally don't even give her more than 5 minutes to convince me to watch her. In my opinion, her recipes are typically very heavy, and full of butter and meat. Besides that, they never seem to be that creative or intriguing. I am really glad I ran out of stuff to watch while I was sick, though, because I ended up watching her whole episode (including this great recipe)! It was a good companion to the mashed potatoes. The recipe is below. I found that I had to make a second batch of the marinade to coat all of the onions.

Ingredients:
2 red onions
1 yellow onion
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the stem end of each onion and carefully slice off the brown part of the root end, leaving the root intact. Peel the onion. Stand each onion root end up on a cutting board and cut the onion in wedges through the root. Place the wedges in a bowl.
For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the onions and toss well.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a sheet pan, reserving the vinaigrette that remains in the bowl. Bake the onions for 30 to 45 minutes, until tender and browned. Toss the onions once during cooking. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with the reserved dressing. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.

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