Thursday, November 24, 2011

A Very Vegan Thanksgiving

 This year Izzy and I had the AWESOME privilage of having out siblings make the trek out here to San Diego for Thanksgiving. Izzy's brother Joey flew in from our hometown of WI and my sister Lindsay drove in from Tucson where she is going to nursing school.

Here is Lindsay, Me, Izzy, and Joey....please note the awesome artistic work of Izzy on the chalk board ;-) No turkeys were harmed in the making of this meal! (see the turkey giving a thumbs up?...ha!)


I did some pre-planning on the internet and complied a bunch of recipes from various sources. Most of them were modified based on tastes and the fact I like to go rouge a lot when cooking. The food was devoured, so I took that as a great sign ;-)

On the menu:

Mashed Potaoes
Mushroom Gravy
Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans
Tempe Meat Loaf
Cranberries

Mashed Potatoes: I used a recipe from my Happy Herbivore book. I modified by using red potatoes. I also added 1/4c of nutritional yeast to make them creamy and some parsley flakes for a pop of color.

Cranberries:
4 cups of cranberries
1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup orange juice (I used simply orange)
*bring to boil, then reduce to simmer until all berries pop. about 10-15 min
 


Mushroom Gravy:
1/2 cup dried mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water
2 Tbs. flour
1 1/2 Tbs. margarine
1/4 nutritional yeast
*bring mushrooms, broth, and water to boil. then, reduce to simmer and whisk in flour, margarine, and nutr. yeast. Let is simmer until desired consistency.


Green & Yellow Beans:
16 oz of Geen & Yellow Beans
1 T Olive oil
6oz mixed nuts (browned in oven for 6min @ 350)
Salt & Pepper to taste
*Steam beans, then transfer to bowl and toss in oil, salt, pepper, and top with nuts.

Sweet Potatoes: (recipe from this site)
4 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 TB Earth Balance butter
2/3 C maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place potatoes in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Combine butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour this mixture over sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Cover dish well with foil.
Bake 50 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until potatoes are tender and syrup thickens a bit (basting occasionally) about 20 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 500°F. Top sweet potatoes with pecans and bake until nuts begin to brown, about 3 minutes.


Country ‘Meatloaf’   (from Chef Chloe's article in the NYtimes)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 cups diced celery
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 (8-ounce) packages tempeh
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup cooked brown rice, warm
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large deep-sided skillet and sauté onion, carrots and celery until soft, about 15 minutes. If vegetables begin to stick, add a little bit of water to the skillet. Stir in garlic, thyme, basil and parsley. Let cook a few more minutes. Crumble the tempeh into the skillet and add soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
3. Add warm brown rice and bread crumbs to the bowl and mix thoroughly with a large spoon. The more you mix it and mash it, the better it will hold together when you bake it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and pack it down very firmly using the back of a spoon. Cover the top of the loaf pan with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, covered, then remove foil, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before unmolding. Run a knife around the edges of the cooked loaf to loosen, then flip onto a serving plate to unmold. Slice and serve.

Easy Veggie Stuffing (from this site) 
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 c. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 cup celery and tops, chopped
3/4 lb. bread or cornbread cubes (or both)
1 ½ c. vegetable broth
½ tsp. each of sage, thyme, and savory
1 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper (to taste)

Sauté the onion, mushrooms, and celery in a large pan with olive oil until softened; add some broth if necessary to keep from sticking.
Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients, and mix well (bread should be moist).
Grease a casserole dish with sesame oil, pack in the stuffing, and brush with more oil.
Cover with foil and bake at 325-375 degrees for about 1 hour.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Weekend WrapUp: Arizona Edition

Happy Cow App = amazing!

So I discovered while traveling this past weekend my favorite new app! They have it for iphone and android, which is even more awesome since I haven't hopped on the iphone bandwagon just yet.

It's a SERIOUSLY amazing App that will show all the vegan, vegetarian, or veg-friendly restaurants around you (or whatever zip code you want to enter). It also has links to their menus. Click here for all the info:HAPPY COW 


This weekend while we were in Tucson, Happy Cow helped us find a restaurant called "Loving Spoonfuls". It was a SUPER tasty restaurant with a big menu. If you ever make it to Tucson, stop by...and you MUST get their Crispy Mushroom appetizer...they were amazing!


Happy Cow also helped us find a FANTASTIC Indian place while we were up in Phoenix. It was called "Bombay Spice". They even offered a seperate Vegan menu. We got some $3.50 Sangrias, a naan appetizer, and a Veggie and Tofu Curry. Everything we ate was so good....we basically rolled out of there we were so full. I would highly recommend this place to anyone...even non-vegans!






All in all, if you have a app-capable phone you should totally download Happy Cow. It's free and will introduce you to some pretty amazing restaurants. You're missing out of you don't!!!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Vegan Travelling (Phoenix Girls Weekend!)

 This is the first time I have traveled for work as a vegan. I was a little worried I'd starve for 4 days, but I was quite surpised it's been pretty easy.

The first meal I got here was a Veggie Burger with a side salad. (I was so hungry I didn't get a pic ;-)

The next meal I went to a bar and ordered their hummus with veggies & pita appetizer and I paired it with a side salad.

 After my work event, my mom and sisters came! YAY! Girls Weekend!!!

Since three of us are newly converted vegans, we brought books along for my sister Katy ;-)

Here is a picture of what our weekend consisted of:
And my sister Lindsay brough us vegan tamales from the "Tucson Tamale Lady" So good!

This was 1/2 Sweet Potato Tamale and 1/2 Blue Corn Veggie.

Oh, and you must not forget the wine! Lot's of wine on this girls weekend. :-) 




Vegan Potato Gnocchi

I have a new love for gnocchi. The other day I found a pack in the my pantry I had for gotten about. .

I cooked the gnocchi as directed.

In a pan I sauteed:
garlic
frozen corn
frozen peas

Then I added in a can of diced tomatoes. I tossed in about a teaspon of each: oregano, thyme, garlic salt, and pepper. I let that simmer for about 5-10mins.

Finally, I drained and added in the cooked gnocchi. Then added some spinach and let it wilt down.

So YUM!

Friday, November 11, 2011

SUPER Easy & Delicious Pad Thai

 I am a sucker for Pad Thai, it's my go-to meal take-out moive night. So, finding an option that is delicious now that I'm vegan has been amazing. I don't know if I could have lived without my occasional fix.

To start, I made 1/2 a package of rice noodles (equals 1/2 pound) Follow the directions on the package for cook time.
 Next I whisked together in a bowl: 

1/4 C Soy Sauce
3 T Peanut Butter (i used skippy natural chunky)
1/4 C Sweet Red Chili Sauce
1t ground ginger
2t garlic powder
2t lime juice
1t hot sauce

Then on the stove, I cooked up a 14oz bag of frozen stir fry veggies. 

When the noodles we done, I drained those and put them in the bowl with the sauce.

When the veggies were done, I drained off the excess water, and added them to the bowl too.

Then I tossed it all together

To serve, I dished it into bowls.

Optional:
Top with peanuts and serve with lime wedges.

My pantry makes me happy...

My newly organized, totally vegan pantry makes me really happy! Since being vegan for over a month now, I purged myself of anything non-veg...(donating those items to some families in need.)

It's so awesome to open my cupboards every morning and know that the items inside were specifically chosen for good reasons to be there...and more importantly, that they are good for me ;-)

"Meatball" Subs

 The other day it was a cold & rainy and something warm and comforting sounded good. So, we headed off to our local Trader Joe's to see what we could find. As soon as Izzy spotted the "meatless meatballs" in the freezer section, he was like, " I want a meatball sub" To be honest, I don't think I ever had a meatball sub, even before I turned vegan :-) So, it was a bit of a stretch, but Izzy gave it two thumbs up...so I'll call it a success.


 Ingredients used:
1/2 Bag Meatless Meatballs
1C sliced mushrooms
1/2 jar marinara sauce
1/2 Sourdough Baguette
Earth Balance Margarine
Garlic Salt
Daiya Cheese


*One thing I love about TJ's is that they mark most of they vegan products with a "V" for vegan. I LOVE it, it makes buying so much easier. If only all brands/stores did that!**

1) I started by preheating my oven to 400
2) I then started the sauce on the stovetop by sauteing the mushrooms in a dash of olive oil in a medium sauce pan until they cooked down.
2) Then I added in the meatballs and marinara sauce.
3) While this was going, I sliced my bread into two subs...then sliced them open.
4) I spread a little margarine in the bread and lightly sprinkled some garlic salt, to make a garlic toast.
5) Then I popped it in the oven to toast it a bit. **MAKE SURE you watch the bread so it doesn't burn** Toast until it's as brown as you like, about 5-10 mins.
6) Once the sauce is bubbling and your meatballs are warmed through, you are ready to make your subs. Spoon the meatballs and sauce into your subs. Top with Daiya cheese (optional)

The combination of the crunchy garlic bread and the meatballs and marinara totally hit the spot. And, Izzy said he would have never known it was vegan...my favorite compliment ;-)


Monday, November 7, 2011

Bean & Veggie Enchiladas

Tonight I decided to try and make my own vegan enchiladas. Pre-Veg I made chicken enchiladas...so I stuck with the same idea, but used veggies instead. 
To make the filler I used:
1/2 C Mushrooms
1/4 C Diced Squash
1/4 C Diced Red Onion
1 T Lemon Juice
2 t cilantro (I am in LOVE with the kind I can keep in my freezer. Dorot brand)
1/2 C frozen rosted corn

*I sauteed this all together. While doing this I warmed up some corn tortillas in the microwave.

*Once your veggies are sauteed together, open up a can of vegan refried beans (I used the fat free kind from TJs). 
*Then, pour 1 jar of salsa into a separate bowl. (I used TJ's Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa) 
 
 For a little added flavor, I added some chopped chipotles into the veggie mix. (Optional)
To assemble your enchilada, take a warm tortilla, dip it in the bowl of salsa to coat it (your hands will get messy), then put a line of beans down the middle, then add a line of veggies, then roll and place in the pan. Repeat until your pan is full. 
My 9x9 pan held 8 enchiladas. 
 
Once assembled,  pour the remaining salsa from your bowl over the enchiladas and top with vegan cheese ( I used Daiya...it melts the best) 

Bake uncovered at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until the enchiladas get a little brown and the cheese melts. 

     ENJOY!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

DIY Kitchen Craft Project

Since switching to vegan I have amassed quite the collection of bulk organic ingredients. Most of my stores around these parts sell things like nutritional yeast, quinoa, raw sugar, etc in big barrels that you scoop from into a baggie. This is awesome except for two facts:
1) I forget what is in each bag
2) everytime I open my cupboard I had bags and whatever was in them showering down on me.

SO, my OCD forced me to get organized.

I went to the big chain grocery store (in CA I went to Ralphs) and I bought a 12-pack of mason jars used for canning. I got with the 1 quart WIDE-MOUTH kind. I then dug in my closet for some chalkboard paint I had used for a previous art project (purchased at Home Depot for $8)

I laid out the lids and did two coats of chalkboard paint on them. Prepare your self for messy hands, the lids like to slide around.



About $20 and 1 overnight of dry-time later, I had these pretty ladies!

DISCLAIMER: I am still perfecting my chalkboard penmanship skills

They now all sit nicely on a lower shelf in my pantry (so I can read the tops) and I feel much more organized.

I'm going to see if I can find an option for larger containers, things like WW Flour, quick oats, etc.. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, happy painting ;-)

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Spaghetti Squash Pasta


The other day I saw a Spaghetti Squash at the market and decided to pick one up. I'd cooked butternut and acorn, but never ventured to cook a spaghetti variety.

To cook squash: 

(1) Pre-heat the oven to 375"
(2) Cut the squash in half (length-wise)
(3) Scoop out the "guts" of the squash
(4) Sprinkle on salt & pepper, evo, and garlic
(5) bake skin-down for 1 hour

You'll know the squash is finished when the edges are getting brown and it starts collapsing in a bit. Let it sit to cool down a bit, then grab a hot pad and a fork and scoop out the squash. Fluff up the strands with the fork.  
 For the topping I sauteed:
1/2 C Mushrooms
2 small yellow squash
1/2 c frozen roasted corn
1/2 c frozen peas
1 - 14oz can chickpeas
1/4 c red wine (I used a Shiraz)

I let this simmer for a while, then added 1/2 jar of organic Tomato Basil Sauce (I used TJ's) 

For lazy woman's vegan garlic bread :)
(1) Toasted bread (I used Ezekial)
(2) Spread on vegan margarine (Earth Balance) and sprikle with garlic salt
(3) microwave for 20 seconds to let it all melt together