November 13th, 2011 at 12:49
I am a huge fan of stuffing, but I’ve never been all that crazy about those eclectic stuffing recipes which have things like raisins and walnuts and other odds and ends tossed in. I’m happy to say, though, that I’ve found my favorite, ultimate stuffing recipe — which is slightly eclectic.
For Christmas last year, I brought stuffing using this recipe from NovelEats.com, and it was a pretty big hit, even among Ty’s “meat and potatoes”-type family. I liked it, although I felt that it needed some tweaking to suit my tastes. I had a chance to have another go at it yesterday, while making it for Friends Thanksgiving. Everybody raved about how delicious it was last night, and I was all, “Score for the vegan team!” Something like that. Read more…
October 17th, 2011 at 18:45
Saturday night, Ty and I participated in the 3rd Annual Power Tool Pumpkin Carving event at a friend’s house. This was our first time joining in, and I just have to say … carving a pumpkin with power tools totally appeals to the perfectionist in me. The eyes were perfectly round! Amazing!
Perfectionism aside, I was able to snag the seeds from the 8 or 9 pumpkins in attendance, which everyone (thankfully!) tossed into large bowls while they were cleaning out the pumpkin innards. Only a small amount of washing was needed to separate out a few stray bits of pumpkin from the seeds, and suddenly I found myself with somewhere around ten cups of raw pumpkin seeds! Um, yum?
To preserve my sanity, I decided it would be a good idea to try out a couple of different toasted pumpkin seed recipes. I’m not a big fan of monotony; gotta mix it up a bit. Also, the last time I tried toasting the seeds (a few years ago), the recipe wasn’t a real hit and I believe I ended up tossing most of them out. (Don’t stone me!) This time around, I have plenty of seeds at my disposal, so I can try as many new recipe as I like! It’s a win-win, all around. Read more…
September 15th, 2011 at 22:20
I’m a big fan of comfort food, and this definitely qualifies. I’ve tried a handful of vegan mac ‘n’ cheese recipes, and haven’t really been impressed. The only one I remotely liked used Daiya Vegan Cheese and the end result tasted (naturally) like Amy’s mac ‘n’ cheese, which you can find in the freezer section.
I like this recipe because it’s from scratch, uses ingredients which you probably have on hand, and is super simple. And any dish that has my picky husband returning to the kitchen for a heaping plate of seconds most definitely has my vote! However, if you have a distaste for nooch, you probably won’t be a fan. Just sayin’.
This vegan macaroni and cheese recipe came to me via my friend Christina, who received it after having it a friend’s wedding. Original source: unknown! But happy to credit where credit is due.
EDIT, Sept. 16: It looks like the recipe came from VegWeb, where it’s titled “Best Vegan Mac and Cheese in the entire world…seriously”. Works for me! Found via a post on Vegan Soapbox from a couple days ago, which listed store-bought options and recipes for macaroni and cheese.
Vegan Macaroni and “Cheese”
Ingredients:
- 20 oz macaroni or other pasta (actually, a 14oz bag is plenty!)
- 1.5 cups nondairy milk
- 1.5 cups nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup tamari
- 4 oz firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt (maybe less if tamari has salt added)
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- chopped veggies to your heart’s content!
Recipe:
Cook macaroni until it’s al dente. It will cook a bit more while it’s baked, so just try not to cook it to death in the pot. While pasta is cooking, combine all sauce ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Chop up any veggies you’d like to add. Broccoli is a delicious add-in, along with bell peppers.
Combine veggies, pasta, and sauce in a seriously large baking dish (our was our largest Pyrex glass pan, at around 4.5 liters — don’t know the dimensions, but it’s one step up from the 13″ x 9″ pan, and twice as large).
Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. You want it to get a little toasty brown on top, but don’t overcook it too much, as it might get a little dry around the edges.
September 12th, 2011 at 14:47
Ty and I are terrible at planning meals. We’re both so indecisive that it usually means that we end up having to go the store before we’ve made up our minds on what to make for the week, which inevitably ends up with more impulse purchases, frozen items, and other “center of the store” items. Thus, we spend more money, don’t really have anything to cook from scratch, and are fairly dissatisfied.
One of the main things that I usually fail at with my diet is consistently making good, wholesome meals. I try here and there, but I need to improve on that, and that’s something that I’ve been aware of for a long time. One of my issues is that Ty will sometimes try a bite of what I cook, but usually will end up making his own meal. (I’m still trying to find meals that he likes, but he’s not very forthcoming with ideas.) So, most of the time I’m left with large amounts of leftovers which last me for days (lunches and dinners), so the whole cooking-every-day thing isn’t very practical.
Documentaries such as “Forks Over Knives” and “Food Matters” have left me with a renewed sense of resolve to keep expanding my catalog of favorite meals, which I can refer to when I’m out of ideas. (And I really need to get around to designing and putting together my own notebook of “absolute favorites” and “Ty will eat this” recipes, which I keep telling myself I’ll do…)
In any case, I’ve decided on a few dishes that I’d like to cook this week (or maybe next, depending on our schedule and how leftovers get eaten):
- Spinach Linguine with Edamame Pesto: One of my all-time favorites! I actually prefer this pesto over the “normal” oily stuff. This pasta is so hearty and delicious and good for you, all at once. You really can’t go wrong…
- Pineapple and Potato Curry: My friend Sarah brought this to last week’s Wednesday Night Dinner (a weekly potluck with some friends), and I totally fell in love with it! Some comments on the recipe mention adding a can of chickpeas, and I plan on adding some of those, along with some fresh peas from the garden. I figure I’ll have this over some basmati rice that my dad brought us a couple weeks ago (he bought too much at Costco — oops!).
- Thai Salad with Slow-Cooked Tofu in Pineapple Barbecue Sauce: I saw this on the FatFree Vegan Kitchen blog today, and just went, “Oh, yum!” Even being sick today and not thinking ANYTHING could possibly taste good, my brain said, “Oh yes, you will like this.” So now this is on my menu.
- Macaroni and “cheese”!: I don’t have a link to this recipe, but my friend Christina brought this to one of the first Wednesday Night Dinners that Ty and I went to (we made it a vegetarian theme), and Ty actually liked it so much that he had seconds! Win! The recipe uses a non-dairy milk and nutritional yeast-based sauce, and you can throw in whatever veggies and other add-ins as you feel inclined. I plan on tossing in some broccoli, at the very least.
- Potatoes Gratin: Ty picked out this recipe from one of my cookbooks. It’s not a creamy dish, and actually seems more like a variation on roasted red potatoes. But looks good, nonetheless!
So, that’s what I’m hoping to create. I’m really excited about the linguine (it’s been so long!) and the macaroni (since Ty will eat it). I’ll probably look forward to the others more once my stomach starts behaving and I get my desire to eat back. Right now, I’m just trying to get enough calories and nutrients into my body so it can heal and start feeling better. (Food poisoning is the culprit, I believe. Yesterday was miserable, but today I’ve been able to eat more than just saltines, which is an improvement.)
So what about you? Do you have a hard time making and sticking to a meal plan? And what are your favorite go-to meals to cook at home? (Shamelessly trying to boost my inventory, here!)
September 6th, 2011 at 19:05
I’m in trouble. Or should I say, both Ty and I are in trouble. Why? Because we tried out Jalapeños Family Mexican Restaurant, tonight — and loved it.
We had to stop by Haggen on the way home tonight, and as everyone knows, shopping on an empty stomach is never a good idea — especially in a store like Haggen, when things are a bit more on the pricey side. We pulled into the parking lot and thought about what we could do for dinner before heading into the store. The Barkley Village has a handful food choices: Bob’s Burgers (no way), Quizznos (nope), Jalapeños, Little Tokyo (I forgot about Clarissa’s review!), and Haggen itself (usually means sushi, for me). We decided it was time to try something new, and after scanning over the Jalapenos menu on my phone, we opted to try them.
And I’m so glad we did!
Upon walking in, I was a little nervous as to the quality of the place. It’s very clean, in a modern and colorful way — which immediately had me thinking “cheap chain restaurant”. (After spending more time there, that feeling went away.) We picked a table by the window and were handed our menus. The first thing I noticed was that right on the front of the menu, it says “Vegetarian Friendly” — awesome!
Since I’d already perused the menu on my phone, I had an idea of what I wanted. The veggie fajitas looked super interesting and full of deliciousness. The description says: Grilled bell peppers, squash, carrots, potatoes, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, green onions, and tomatoes. Served with rice, black beans, sour cream, guacamole and choice of tortillas. Um, yum? I made sure to ask for no cheese or sour cream (it does come with cheese, even though it doesn’t say so). Our server confirmed that I was looking for no dairy — always a plus when someone makes the (obvious) connection. At the top of the vegetarian section, it also says that only vegetable oil is used in food preparation — good to know! I love it when I don’t have to dig for answers.
To drink, I was happy to learn that their flavored lemonades and iced teas are made using fruit purees, rather than flavored syrups. Another win! I ordered a peach iced tea and Ty got a raspberry lemonade, both of which were delicious.
And to top things off (as if we weren’t expecting enough calories already…), I really needed some sort of special salsa to enjoy the chips with. The chip basket came with a salsa, but I’ve grown really partial to pico de gallo / salsa fresca, recently, so the “normal” saucy salsa just wasn’t cutting it. Jalapeños has what they call a “salsa bar” with eight or so different kinds of salsa to choose from. I’m not one for spice, so I decided to try the pineapple salsa, which is listed as mild.
And – OH. MY. GOD. I totally wanted to buy a vat of that stuff and bring it home with me! That is a recipe that I am definitely going to try to duplicate at home, instead of my normal pico de gallo recipe. It looks so innocent and unassuming, but it really was incredible enough for me to write “OMG yum” on Facebook. (And I never say “OMG”.)
The portions were enormous, as you can see. I was impressed with the quality of the veggies that came with the fajitas, and that they didn’t need to cover them up with a “special sauce” or anything, like so many places do. This dish wasn’t lacking in flavor at all! One of the things I worry about when veganizing a vegetarian option is that the only thing vegetarian about it in the first place was the lack of meat, and no real attempt to make a great veggie dish. Not so with these fajitas. I could taste every single vegetable they used and they all had amazing flavors and were cooked just right. I’ll be honest when I say that I’m really looking forward to having my leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Edited Saturday, September 10th: On Friday night, we returned to Jalapeños for another go and I ordered the veggie fajitas again. Delicious, of course. But while talking to my friend Clarissa at the Farmer’s Market today, she mentioned going to the Fairhaven restaurant a while after they opened and getting shredded beef in with her food — apparently they use the same tongs for everything, so it cross-contaminated. Lo and behold, when I got home and was enjoying some of my leftovers for lunch, I found a large piece of semi-shredded beef in with my veggies. I’m pretty disappointed in that, and I’ll probably reconsider going there again. I’m pretty bummed, but will be trying to recreate the pineapple salsa at home; that was the best part, anyway.
July 2nd, 2011 at 10:37
Summer is here and I’m loving the warmer weather! I think my favorite part of summer is being able to have all the windows and doors (well, the ones with screens) open and a warm, fresh breeze blowing through the house.
Things continue to grow in our garden. We’ve been able to start picking strawberries by the bowl and they are fantastic! The garden actually looks slightly ridiculous, because we couldn’t figure out a decent way to cover the strawberries, so Ty spread the netting over some sawhorses that he found in the barn and stapled the sides down to some 2×4′s along the perimeter. It does the job, but looks rather silly and amateurish. Probably because it is.
One of the things on our list to do today or tomorrow is to pick up some hay/straw/mulch and spread it under the strawberry plants. So far we’ve only lost a couple to rot, due to sitting on the dirt, but I’d like to halt that process before the number of casualties increases. I love my strawberries! Read more…
June 18th, 2011 at 21:59
As new owners of a sizable amount of land, Ty and I have challenged ourselves with the task of planting and maintaining a vegetable garden. Ideally, we’d like to be able to grow the majority of the produce we use, but for now … well, we’re practicing.
Initially, we’d intended to dig some beds in our field, but when Ty took our rototiller to the intended bed areas, all it did was gouge out some deep furrows in the ground. Nice. Things were a bit too wet and dense to be straight-up tilling. We’ll give it another go when summer is in full force and the soil has dried out. Hopefully we can make something work.
In the meantime, we cleared up an existing garden area which was used by the previous owners of the property. It’s to the side of our lawn, next to our four apple trees (which are growing little apples!). Read more…
June 14th, 2011 at 21:21
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have the world’s greatest diet. I love sweets and baked things way too much for my own good, and haven’t experimented with vegetables enough. (I have managed to pretty much maintain my weight since becoming vegan, rather than lose. I’m working on that.) But I can say that I’m trying. We’re having a housewarming party at our place this weekend and the intended list of edible items includes a black bean and quinoa salsa (to be paired with sweet potato tortilla chips) and a rosemary-chickpea dip (to be paired with pita bread slices). These are two things I wouldn’t have touched a couple of years ago. So yes, I’m getting there.
I do my best to avoid processed food-type-products as much as possible, but I do have an ongoing love affair with Earth Balance, which started in high school, before I went vegan. I also keep a jar of Vegenaise in the fridge, to use on sandwiches whenever I happen to make them, which isn’t super often — so it takes us a while to get through the jar.
I was prompted to look up the ingredient list for Vegenaise today, while having a chat with my mother-in-law. Read more…
May 2nd, 2011 at 17:38
As Isa mentions in her cookbook, Vegan with a Vengeance, these cookies are by no means healthy. There’s always that misconception that if it’s vegan, it’s healthy — and I hate that! The way I figure, if you’re going to have a cookie, have a cookie. If it’s not the healthiest recipe in the book, that’s okay — it’s not like anyone lives solely on cookies. Well, I hope not!
I’ve made this recipe several times and it never fails to deliver. When bringing these cookies to a potluck, they’re always the first to go and people just keep grabbing them, one after another. I usually get lots of comments along the lines of, “No way — these are vegan?”
Yeah. Pretty cool.
ETA: Tony, who hosts the weekly Wednesday Night Dinner potluck at his house, posted this on Facebook: Trish Haveman‘s cookies at WND are like crack cocaine. I don’t think it’s practical to make them a controlled substance but I think maybe we should limit how many someone can legally have in their personal possession.
Win!
May 1st, 2011 at 16:13
This quinoa stir-fry is pretty much one of my favorite things … ever. It’s sweet and filling, and full of surprises — from the ginger and mint to the cashews and pineapple — every bite has something delicious in it. It’s definitely a good choice for a spring or summer dish.
I’ve made this several times, most recently yesterday as my offering at a vegan potluck. It was amazingly well-received, and Sean even asked if I was planning on keeping the leftovers. I told him to go ahead and take what was left. It always makes my day when people genuinely like what I cook. Yay!
One thing — I plan on cutting down on the oil, next time. 3 tablespoons is a bit much, and I can notice it when everything’s done cooking.
Recipe from Veganomicon, which is pretty much awesome!
