It's been awhile...

BUT I have LOTS of updates.... I'm gonna do a quick post of this deliciously easy veggie salad, then I promise I will return immediately with a long post of my trip to NYC and all the amazingness I ate there...

Ok, refreshing summer salad:

Soooooo easy...
*Fresh tomatoes, cubed
*Fresh cucumber, sliced and halved
*Fresh green beans, snapped
*Small amount of onion, diced
*Swirl of olive oil
*Couple teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
*Little bit of lemon juice
*Teaspoon of honey
*Salt and pepper

Toss and enjoy!

On another version I made, I added some fresh spinach leaves too.... yum!
I could eat a whole bowl of this for lunch, but you could add it on the side of a veggie sandwich too...
Or take it as your contribution to all the cookouts and pot lucks going on this time of year!

Happy Mother's Day!

Yesterday I was so blessed to get to spend the afternoon and evening with my wonderful Mother (Mama) and Grandma (Mimi). And the paternal figures were there too! :-p

I was additionally blessed to be able to cook for my family and let them share in the yumminess of vegan food!
I made a sort of Pasta Pomodoro I guess, but it was mainly a vegetable stew served with pasta as opposed to a sauce. Paired with fresh asparagus, this was a beautiful, hearty and nutritionally sound meal!
The pasta is, of course, a whole wheat penne. And the sauce was just a combination of as many veggies and herbs I could find:


Swirl of Olive oil
1/2 of a large onion (finely diced) 
Handful of carrots (chopped)

1/2 of a large eggplant (cubed)

1/2 can black olives (pitted and chopped coarsely) 

1 can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)

1 yellow squash (diced)

1 large can of Italian crushed tomatoes

Couple handfuls of fresh spinach

Italian herbs

Garlic

Some flakes of red pepper

3 bay leaves

Salt and Pepper

Pretty much I start with the oil and onions and cook them down some. 

Then add the carrots because they take the longest to cook. 

A couple mins later I add the eggplant.

Then the tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes go in, all the spices follow.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the spinach) and just let simmer for pretty much as long as you want. The flavors will develop the longer it cooks. 

Cook pasta according to directions, then drain and add it to the sauce while sauce is still simmering.

When you're just about ready to take it off the heat, fold in the spinach!

The asparagus was just sauteed in a pan with Olive oil, garlic salt and pepper until at my desired texture. (I like them a little crisp!)

The beautiful table looked like this:

I also made dessert! While they were intended to be cupcakes they ended up a little more like muffins because I use whole wheat flour which tends to make things more dense. 

These (cakes) were dairy and sugar free since my grandpa is diabetic. 

This is the recipe I used for the cupcakes:

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cups almond milk

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup Splenda
1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce

1 tablespoon Agave Nectar

1/4 cup coconut oil (warmed until liquid)

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

The "frosting" I used seemed to be more of a yogurt, but it was really good.

1 cup firm tofu (8oz)

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3-4 tablespoons agave nectar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

5-6 diced strawberries

Combine all the ingredients in a blender until very smooth.

Let chill in the refrigerator while cupcakes are cooking before frosting.

I'd like to think I was that SMOOTH...

It seems that everyone like a smoothie... and while I've enjoyed the occasional Planet Smoothie treat, I've just never been a big fan of replacing a meal with a drink, especially when the calorie content almost forces you too. Plus smoothie stores like adding yogurt and milk and ice cream... yuck.

However, the other day I was randomly in the mood for a smoothie-like snack. I just recently tried the Soyogurt I found at the Farmer's Market and I actually kind of like it (it does have a distinct taste to it that is very non-traditional yogurt, but if you've been off dairy for awhile you might enjoy it). I wanted to try it in the smoothie to add a sweeter taste to it and it worked wonderfully.

 

I combined the blueberry flavor Soyogurt, frozen strawberries, frozen blackberries, a banana, some almond milk, and a few ice cubes....  

It ended up being a delicious, light and refreshing snack! With a much lower calorie count than the average dairy filled variety, and obviously much healthier!

Sweet Summertime!

This bowl made me SOOOO happy. I'm not a huge sweets person, but sometimes a girl just needs her chocolate. Trader Joe's tends to be my store for vegan junk food. And I used to get the Trader Joe's Soy Chocolate Mini Sandwiches, but I was browsing the dessert section and saw a new item: Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream.... OH MY GOODNESS. 

                                                                                          

It was so delicious! Seriously, amazing. Granted I haven't had real ice cream in over a year, but I think this was better, plus I know it's better for me which just adds to the delight. As you can see I added strawberries, raisins, and almonds and it was the best dessert I've had in a long time. 

This is my new go to guilty pleasure... I'll have to limit myself or I can see myself going through a pint a week :-/

So to all my health conscious people who have a sweet tooth, I promise this treat won't disappoint! Thank you Trader Joe's!

A Plate of Sunshine!

 I love when I get home from the Farmer's Market and have so many fresh, colorful veggies to choose from for that night's dinner. This is the festive combination I came up with, and I cooked up so quinoa for protein punch.
My cooking is so simple, I almost don't think I can claim that I'm a real "cook," but I think everything turns out pretty good, so I relish the title.

As for this meal, I literally cut up the squash, carrots, and mushrooms, and snapped the ends off the beans and threw them in a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil. I always layer at the beginning with the things that need to cook the longest. i.e. carrots in the pan first, then beans, then squash. I wait until those are almost fully cooked before adding the mushrooms.
The potatoes I just cubed and boiled until tender. Quinoa was boiled as well in 2x the water until all the water was absorbed and the kernels were fluffy.

When everything's finished I add a little Earth Balance spread to the potatoes and salt and pepper to taste. I usually add salt to vegetables as they're cooking because it brings out the flavors better, but then I have to remember not to add any additional salt out of habit.

And the beauty is that I always make extra so I have lunch for the next day. This meal is so simple, and once your palate is cleansed from processed and junk food, simple foods taste incredible. All the individual flavors really pop and the idea of any McDonald's menu idea seems so heavy and starchy and repelling.

Easy Peesy...

I wanted to share the fact that I'm not always this super chef who has tons of great produce on hand and cooks super exciting meals every night... nope. I'm a real person and sometimes I get really busy and don't put planning my meals at the top of the list. This weekend was one of those times.

Up until I went to the Farmer's Market yesterday, I seriously had just about nothing in the kitchen to eat. A quick survey of the pantry and fridge revealed about 3 things that would go together. Refried beans, chips and salsa and 1/2 a green pepper. I noticed my roommate had some tortillas so I stealthy snook 2 in hopes that I can just replace them before she notices :-) Hopefully she's not reading this post!

So anyways, I heated up the beans, slung them on the tortillas and added some salsa and green pepper slices. I was pretty hungry so I made two and threw some chips and more salsa on the plate. Gotta say, it was really good and super filling. I couldn't eat all of the second burrito.

All this to say that even when you think you have NOTHING, you can usually find some kind of combination, and it'll probably turn out to be super simple and pretty yummy!

Good ol' country cookin....

Sometimes I get a craving for a good old fashioned country vegetable plate. Like one I used to get at Cracker Barrel (or any other country cooking place). However, we all know (or should know), that they cook in tons of butter and animal fats. :-( So it's almost impossible to get a vegan vegetable plate. Crazy, right?

Well I made a super yummy plate the other night consisting of boiled cabbage (usually I would use collards, but didn't have any on hand), brown rice, black eyed peas, and FRIED OKRA (my fave!). Now I'd never made fried okra before, but the farmer's market had okra on sale and I became inspired.

I basically just googled a vegan batter recipe and it was so easy. Soak the sliced okra in soy/almond milk, then coat them in a cornbread/ flour/ salt&pepper /paprika mixture before tossing them in bubbling oil. I used canola, I think. Then I tossed them around a bit until they browned. 

 Ok, so this definitely isn't the healthiest vegan meal, being that it has tons of oil, but it's a craving satisfier. And I'm a big proponent of the occasional splurge. (I also throw some Earth Balance in my rice to make it super creamy and delicious :-)

Lastly, while I didn't add these sides to my plate, cornbread and sliced cucumbers and tomatoes in dill and vinegar would be perfect with this dish!

Oh, and then maybe some vegan peach cobbler!
I should definitely look into a recipe for that!

Quinoa for Breakfast? Maybe...

Ok, so when I made this dish, I made it for dinner and honestly the ingredients are pretty much all I had on hand. However, after eating it, I thought it might make a pretty yummy breakfast. I don't know about you, but I think most people (me, included) eat somewhat sweet things for breakfast (cereal, oatmeal, yogurt (of course mine is soy), pancakes, etc.) 

Well this quinoa dish turned out to be the perfect balance of sweet and savory. I made the quinoa per the normal method; soaked in water for a few minutes, rinsed and then boiled in twice the amount of water (i.e. one cup of quinoa, two cups of water). About halfway through the boiling I threw in some sliced carrots. Cooked carrots are surprisingly sweet for a vegetable! After a couple minutes I added diced apples. Then with just a few minutes left to cook I added a giant handful of raisins! You can tell when the quinoa is almost done based on the amount of water left to absorb; it's like rice so use common sense and add a little water if it looks like it might burn or if the kernels aren't as fluffy as the ones in my picture. 

OH... and the secret ingredient: brown sugar! Add about a teaspoon around the time you add the apples or raisins. And you could substitute pure maple syrup, because it's definitely better for you, but a little brown sugar isn't horrible. A little cinnamon might be nice too, although I didn't put any in this version. 

So whether you make this dish for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack, it's packed with protein and is super filling. However, don't forget you need to make sure you get your greens in at some point during the day!

Springtime 3 Bean & Pasta Salad!!!

This is one of my new favorites. And I know, I know... it's pasta, but it's whole grain, and I've got legumes and greenery in it too, so it balances out. This beautiful bowl contains that "Plus" pasta (although in the future I'll use whole wheat; I just didn't have it on hand), then a blend of Garbanzo beans, Red Kidney beans, and Soybeans (or Edemame). I used cans of Garbanzo and Kidney, then frozen Soybeans because that's the easiest way to find them, however I'm all for cooking your own dried beans if you pre-plan! I coated them with a mixture of olive oil, a little vinegar, fresh ground salt and pepper, and (stay with me here), lemon juice and a teeny tiny splash of OJ. Lastly, I folded some fresh Spinach leaves in the mix. Trust me, this is so filling, yet refreshing, at the same time. I'd love to hear what spring/summer "salads" are your favorites!

A mug full of HAPPY...

So Saturday I found out a vegan bake sale was being held at Criminal Records in Little 5, with proceeds going to Relief Efforts in Japan. I decided I definitely wanted to go so that I could not only support my local vegan bakers and the efforts going on in Japan, but also get to eat some yummy, sweet, vegan treats! Triple win!

I talked my non-veg friend Robbie into going with me and he was pleasantly surprised with his caramel drizzled something or other and said he couldn't even tell it was vegan (always the best compliment). We also got some peanut butter, chocolate and oat cookiesh things and a banana bread moonpie type thing. I have no idea what they really were and I have no pictures, because they were delicious and consumed almost immediately.

What I do have a picture of is the cute little mug I got made by a local vegan potter. It's my new favorite tea mug and I just love it!

Oh and just as a mention; before we headed to the bake sale, we had brunch at a cute little place called ParkGrounds Coffee in Reynoldstown. I had wanted to try them because I'd heard they had vegan pancakes and since breakfast was my favorite meal of the day pre-vegan, I wanted to check them out and have a morning of nostalgia. The pancakes were good, but not AMAZING and my soy latte' was a little cold. But the guy that worked there said the vegan breakfast burrito was really great. And the place has a really cool atmosphere and an attached dog park (although it was rainy out so not a lot of activity or there), so I'll probably go back on a nicer day and take the pooch and try the burrito.

Spring Sandwiches!!!

So I know it's a little early and not really spring yet (so these veggies aren't entirely in season), but it's been super sunny and beautiful the past few days and I'm craving my summer foods. I love, love, love avocado and tomato, so summer sandwiches and salads are my favorite. Here's a little peak into my favorite sandwich!

 It starts with amazing multi-grain bread from the Farmer's Market... toasted, of course. Then a thin layer of Vegenaise, a heaping pile of red leaf lettuce, thick sliced tomatoes, thin sliced mushrooms, cucumbers, and avocados. (I'll thrown on some thing slices of roasted beets if I have them... I love beets.) Then I top it off with a drizzle of oil and vinegar and a little salt and pepper.
This is seriously an amazing sandwich and very filling (albeit a little messy).

  This time I made cajun sweet potato fries to go with it... Slice up some sweet potatoes, toss them in olive oil, cajun spices, salt and pepper and throw them in the oven until they're at your desired consistency... usually about 30 mins for me.

Well hopefully this has inspired you to try a new kind of sandwich not laden with meat and cheese. I don't think you'll be disappointed! Happy eating!

Pizza Night!

So I was recently incredibly grateful to get to see my best friend and her husband, who came in town from Scotland for a week. There's nothing like catching up with friends over homemade pizza and wine.

While this was my first experience making pizza since being vegan, (let alone from scratch), I think it went pretty well... We made one crust ourselves and one we picked up from the farmers market, just to see the difference. They actually turned out pretty much the same. I like a thicker crust, so next time I'll definitely try and tweak things to get a better outcome because the crusts didn't rise very much; not sure if it had anything to do with the tremendous amount of toppings of not. :-/
But we all got to pick our own toppings and each made 1/2 a pizza.

 I made a "ricotta" filling based on a recipe from my new book, "Vegan with a Vengance," which was pretty good and definitely a nice substitute. And then we piled on pesto, black olives, green peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, vegan sausage; whatever we could think of.





And while the meal was delicious, it was the company that truly made the meal!

Fiesta in a Bowl

So I love eating out of bowls... I'm not sure why, but anything I can put in a bowl seems to taste better. And bowl-meals seem easier to make because they consist of components and ingredients that go well together, so you can just mix them all up and not worry about keeping them separated on a plate. That being said, I also love Mexican type flavors; rice and beans, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, peppers, etc.
So... that's exactly what I threw into my latest bowl dish. I made some brown basmati rice, which takes about 30 minutes, and then the rest is just cutting and assembly. I used refried beans because I didn't have and canned black beans (which is my usual go-to choice), and layered as follows:
Brown rice
Refried beans
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocado
Chopped cilantro
Dollop of Tofutti Cream Cheese
Salt and Pepper

It was so good, so easy, and so filling. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or a snack! And would be perfect with cornbread!