Saturday Veggie Saturday

Last Saturday I shunned all other activity in order to devote my afternoon to the Boston Vegetarian Festival. I'd been excited about this event for weeks, so finally when the day came I could hardly contain myself! M and I had fun trying to find a parking spot (the lot with free parking was a good walk away, we were just trying to get something closer) and discovered all wonderful hidden slices of Roxbury and Mission Hill.

[Okay, so it wasn't like a cute sightseeing expedition, it was more trying to find good places to either A. turn around or B. get back on to main roads]

Boston is a quaint city.

[Quaint being a nice way of saying something akin to 'pain in the tuchus']

We walked in and...WHOA! It was great. It was marvelous! I walked in and thought, are there this many vegetarians (or vegetarian friendy) in and around Boston? I couldn't believe it! I was thoroughly amazed. I mean, I feel like we are so gastronomically underrepresented in this area... I can count the number of strictly veg eateries on one hand (correct me if I'm wrong folks!), while the area boasts hundreds of steakhouses. Perhaps I exaggerate a little...

It was thoroughly packed when we arrived, and the first booth we went to was Grey 2K. The people there were so nice, and M pulled out his phone and showed off pictures of Sam to the people working the booth and to interested passers by. We spent some time trying to convince a nice couple to adopt a grey as well. This is always common for us...I think when we adopted Sam we also took on the role of 'greyhound ambassadors'.

After our improptu PDA assisted "Why You Should Get a Greyhound Now" presentation, we went off in search of food. I had promised M that I would get him a nice plate of Indian food as I knew that Cafe of India was supposed to be there. Sure enough they were, and he got a plate with pakoras and samosas. Cafe of India has some significance for us as a couple because we actually had our first date there four years ago!

I know, it's cute. :) I actually remember what I ordered that night, isn't that sweet?

Anyway, back to the fest. Tons of really cool products (food) to try! Here are some of the highlights.

Cheezly

This is by far the best vegan cheese ever. I can't WAIT until this is sold in the states. It is so rich and creamy and get this...it MELTS!



Trader Joe's

TJs had such a dynamic crew manning their booth! They were passing out samples of two of their creamy soups, Butternut Apple and Veggie Medley Bisque which were both really yummy. Not only did they give out little sample cups, but also the full size aseptic packages! Free! Yeah! Unfortunately they do have honey in them, but I will keep them around.



Turtle Mountain/Pure Decadent

This was my favorite freebie of them all. Turtle Mountain (maker of So Delicious Dairy Free Frozen Dessert) was giving away samples and coupon books. You could either get a soy ice cream bar, or a soy ice cream cup. I got a cup of the Peanut Butter Zig Zag, which was rich chocolate ice cream with peanut butter swirls. Yes, Belinda, heaven is a place on earth, and then it was in my cup. So good...and the coupons will help me to score more soon! :)



Mambo Sprouts gave out these great goodie bags filled with all sorts of stuff (lotions, coupons, chocolate crisps, beauty samples, luna bars, chocolate dairy milk, etc). We each got one and have been going through them slowly, M receiving the non-vegan items.



There was this great booth run by a family fortunate enough to have both a chef and a nutritionist in the group. I wish my family could be so fortunate! Their business is called Nutri Ahaar and they run it out of their homes. Their website url comes up with nothing, so I can't link to them. They make trail mixes and dried fruit treats and they also made some sort of saffron drink powder to mix with milk. I was assured that the saffron mix did well in non dairy milks, but I decided to pass. I got an assortment of their dried fruit treats, which reminded me of truffles! One treat was made with almonds and figs, another with apricot and nuts, and the last with figs, cocoa and sesame! Yum!




MartinOrganics had a great spread and was selling all kinds of great vegan cookies and some vegan cereals. We bought a ginger cookie that I tell you was a large ginger snap! Crispy and sweet and wonderful! The Silveira cereal which we tried is amazing. VERY sweet, and NO sugar. I was amazed!



I've always been addicted to pickles. It's a crazy addiction, and perhaps the toughest thing about keeping to a semi Fuhrman happy diet is staying away from all things salty, like my beloved. I threw caution to the wind and stopped by the Real Pickles booth with the idea in mind only to try them. Of course I walked away with a huge jar and a super cute t-shirt (as if I really needed to broadcast the pickle love!). These are so good and so different as they are naturally fermented and raw. So no vinegar! Very very good. Their products include all sorts of pickled treats, not just cucumbers! Check them out if you like those little ambassadors of brine as much as me!





Speaking of t-shirts, there were so many being sold there it wasn't funny! I wanted to get one of the super cute Herbivore shirts but they were a bit pricey. Then again, most of the shirts were pretty pricey! I did find one that I had to have! Little Vegan Monsters was selling these great "Choo-choo-choose Vegan" shirts printed on American Apparel t-shirts (yay!) and I absolutely had to have one. They were all super nice at their table and have a cookbook coming out soon! Oh, and the guy who sold me my shirt had some of the most beautiful tattoo artistry done on his arms. I was totally taken aback as it was just that breath taking. Anyhoo, here's what my cool new shirt looked like on!



In other wardrobe related news, No Sweat was selling their wares at a table and there were some serious discounts to be had! I really wanted a new scarf (scarves are a total obsession for me) and they were all selling for ten bucks a piece. I went through the selection carefully and chose the funkiest one they had.



I was trying to avoid buying any and all cookbooks with the exception of VCTOW, but they sold out WAAAAAYYY before I got to the table, but one of the other book tables was selling things for half price and they had a few of Bryanna Clark Grogan's books for sale, which I have never had the good fortune of coming across offline. I love BCG-all of her recipes come out wonderfully for me! So I got The Almost No Fat Holiday Cookbook

because I had heard some good things about it, but primarily because it had this recipe:


Growing up in a French Canadian-American family, this is a staple food around the holidays! Of course, its not something that a vegetarian could ever think about, but I'm hoping that Bryanna's recipe helps to fill that void!

Also on the book front, I stopped by Dr. Fuhrman's table and picked up a copy of Eat to Live for my mom. I chatted with him for a bit and he signed my book. Nice man but he looked totally out of it.

Who could blame him? I'm tired just writing about it!

I'm not feeling the love...

Yes, it was love. There was music and poetry. Goodness, you remember the poetry!

It all seemed so perfect. Now I've had the rug pulled out from under me much like your formulaic Lifetime movie complete with smudged mascara.

Folks, I'm left with a dilemma. Now, in the past I know that I have been responsible for contributing to the untimely (well, it was timely) demise of my fresh produce. I would forget about it, or I would feel a little too lazy to prepare a particular item, or take out just seemed more fun... I own up to my faults as a lackadaisical ...

I guess I should stop beating around the bush. I'm thinking about kicking my new passionate love, Boston Organics, to the proverbial curb. I know they send me great things every week. I know that I look forward to Thursdays as if it were a holiday. But... First there were the weeks of the nearly rancid oranges. Fine, I put them on our do not send list. Cool. Then, half of our delivery that we received just before Columbus Day weekend (Thursday mind you, Thursday!) was rotten by mid Monday afternoon. Now I'm not talking getting mushy or slightly unseemly, I'm talking something that causes one to scream out, "Oh dear God!" when happening upon it in the fridge. Let's just say that gloves were involved. I think my last straw was Sunday night when I wanted to whip up two things: 1) Veggie Burgers from VwaV and 2) Lentil Soup. We received a beautiful bunch of small carrots in our Thursday delivery, so I thought that I could use them up between the two recipes and the snacking that I would have to be doing during the cooking process. I pulled out the carrots and went to peel one when I noticed they were limp. Limp is a fairly relative term...but I really don't know how to describe that they felt like FINGERS. Call me crazy, but I think carrots are supposed to be on the hard/crunchy side. It wasn't like I left anything lying around for very long (3 days people!) and everything was refrigerated immediately upon delivery. So what gives?

I feel like it's an unhealthy relationship. I sit and I struggle internally and think that it's just a rut and that they'll make it up to me. Then I think that it's somehow my own fault and that I'm not doing something right. Ugh. I really should call and complain. I feel bad about that because I really support the idea and philosophy of Boston Organics. I don't get it...I've never had produce with such an embarrasingly short shelf life, either conventional or organic.

Am I crazy? Am I wrong? Are there actually types of carrots out there that should feel limp and fleshy like fingers?

Soup started the fire...

Soup. It's what's for dinner.



This is my version of chili. It's the simplest recipe in the world.

Easy Chili (Eat 2 Live friendly and wicked fast...watch out Ray Ray)

4 cloves garlic
4 scallions
1 15oz can black beans (no salt is preferable)
1 15oz can pinto or kidney beans
2 15 oz cans no salt added diced tomatoes (organic is best)
1 cup frozen corn (I suggest Trader Joe's Super Sweet Organic Corn or TJs Cut White Corn)
1 bunch broccoli florets (about 2 cups) or one bag frozen broccoli (I like the Trader Joes broccoli florets...both organic or conventional)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons chili powder
cilantro (I use the frozen spice cubes from TJs)
1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
cayenne pepper to taste
a few splashes of liquid smoke.

Steam fry the garlic/scallions & cumin seeds in a little bit of water until tender. Add tomatoes and beans and rest of spices. Add corn and broccoli and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes or so. Add liquid smoke within the last few minutes of cooking.

Oh, and the book the chili is resting on is pretty great. I got it at a company flea market thing we did to raise money for our in house charity. I got that and "Simply Vegan" for a buck a piece. One of my co-workers made sure to put aside the vegetarian books for me. Why anyone would want to get rid of them is beyond me...

Last week Emmy posted about this lovely vegetable soup she made. That post inspired me to use up my dying vegetables (spot a trend?)and make my own!



I don't have a recipe, but I'll tell you what I put in it...

1 bunch kale
2 zucchinis
3 or 4 carrots
mushrooms
1 can of no salt tomatoes
garlic
1 vegan bouillon cube (I use Rapunzel)
white bean puree (1 can of canneloni beans after a trip to the blender mixed with some water)
one bag of Trader Joe's Green Garbanzo Beans

Delicious! Totally not soup. It was definetely stew. And SO not stoup. I really don't like that expression. And soup tastes even more fantastic when eaten on a pile of books one has scored from a recent library sale.

My new issue of Vegetarian Times arrived today...and oddly enough, there was an entire section devoted to this very topic. There was a quick and simple recipe for 'Creamy Broccoli Soup' that I made but was not impressed. It wasn't really all that photo worthy either.

Moving on from the soup...

I went to go visit a friend from my hometown up north who just had twins at the end of last month. The boys are wonderful adorable bundles of giggles and poop, and I was so happy to meet them. I did make sure to make copious amounts of baked goods for the new family because I know that they have their hands full and food is ALWAYS welcome. I made them all vegan items, with the exception of some chocolate cookies that I made with regular sugar and some Reese's peanut butter chips. They *loved* everything, and it made me smile because they are both serious carnivores.

This is what I brought:

1 batch Chocolate Chip Scones (VwaV)
1 batch Awesome Chocolate Cookies (Vegweb)
1 batch Multi Grain Cookies (Back of canister)
1 batch Chocolate Chip Cookies (VwaV)



Awesome Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

3/4 cup margarine
1 cup unrefined sugar
1 egg equivalent
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 - 1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup any kind of vegan chips (peanut butter are awesome)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix margarine and vegan sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, blend flour, cocoa, soda, and baking powder. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix until everything is well blended. Stir in the chips. Form balls and smash them down a little bit on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes until the tops are no longer gooey

Multigrain Cookies (from Country Choice Organics)

Beat:
1 c. butter or shortening (I used EB)
1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
egg replacer for 2 eggs
1 T water
Combine:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
Blend: Flour mixture with butter mixture
Add:
1 1/2 c. quick multigrain mix (or oatmeal)
1t. grated orange peel
Drop: Slightly rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets
Bake: 10 - 12 minutes at 375° F.
Makes 3 1/2 dozen 3" cookies.

Phew! :) So now tell me...anyone in the area going to the BVF?

Ode to Produce (organic, that is)

"Look at us," the Apples said,
To Bananas ripe and fruity.

"We start off green and end up red,
That is our only duty."

The Bananas they did not reply
Merely chuckling to the Pineapple

Who furrowed its brow and asked, "Now why
Should any of us give a crabapple?"

The Squash did sternly shake its head
And nudged awake the Broccoli

Who snored so as to wake the dead
Nearly frightening the Kiwi.

The Carrots strove to do their best
To ease the conversation

But then the Salad walked around undressed
To everyone's consternation.

The Mango jumped on Zucchini's head
Which made him rather snooty

The Mushrooms simply went to bed
And dreamt of Kale, the cutie.

I can't take credit for this one--this was all M's brainchild! And yes, such a poem does make me swoon! :)

Road Trip!

We're STILL recovering from a whirlwind trip to New York this past weekend to see some family. Poor Sammy is not the biggest fan of the car, but he stuck it out like a trooper.



I think that he 'puts up' with the car ride because he knows that once he gets there there is an unlimited source of treats & people food at his disposal. People who aren't dog owners tend to cave into his undeniable cuteness within about 2.2 seconds. He's such a con man.

Also, he remembers that the extended families homestead contains LOTS of carpet, whereas home is hardwood and throw rug. Carpet is much preferred by the Samhound as it gives him something to feel between his paws when he scratches about 50 million times before laying down.

Though the above rate beyond wonderful to Sam, they pale in comparision to his passion; the very thing that he desires most in this world...



The couch, of course.

Since Sam was spending so much time on the couch luxuriating, he left me time to whip up a feast for our gracious hosts. I figure it's the least I can do when I visit...especially when my little one deprives them of such an important piece of furniture for an extended period of time.

I decided to make some simple "stealth vegan" dishes that I thought would go over well.

1. Lentil Soup



This ended up being the absolute most delicious lentil soup I've ever eaten. It was crazy good. It's also one of those things that is so simple that I don't even have a recipe for it! It's just carrots, celery, scallions, garlic (I used a whole head), veggie broth(whole foods brand-about half a container), veggie cubes (rapunzel), water, lentils and within the last 15 minutes of cooking some fresh rosemary. The trick is letting it simmer for a wicked long time (I did about 3-4 hours).

2. Eggplant Lasagna



This is the simplest recipe ever. Three ingredients: Eggplant, your favorite marinara sauce, and one batch of Tofu-Basil Ricotta as prepared in Vegan with a Vengeance-or whatever version of tofu ricotta you like. I just slice the eggplant (no salting, peeling or anything funny) and alternate layers of the eggplant with sauce and ricotta, saving a whole load of ricotta to shove on top. I bake it at 400 for about 45-60 min until the eggplant is really soft and tender.

3. Hummus



This was a dud. Well, not really, it was REALLY yummy. I just didn't take into account that M and I were the only ones in the house who actually liked hummus. It's okay, I took home the leftovers. Oh, and it was HELL trying to make this in the blender at the house. I really missed my food processor!

4. Apple Crisp



There was an abundance of apples at the house because there had been mention that there was the possibility of making some pies. I was too darn tired to attempt pie crust, so I did a crisp instead. Very very easy! A little brown sugar, lemon, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and Earth Balance. The apples we used were Macs and Cortlands. I had to fight to get a picture! It was that good...

So what was Sam doing all this time I was in the kitchen?




Lazy Bug!

Monday came around and it was time for us to head home. Sam was again a little unhappy in the car, crying ever so softly...



Something tells me I *know* what he's missing... I wonder if any furniture stores will let me bring him in to test out some models?

I wasn't feeling too hot when we got home either, but I did have the energy to whip up something so ridiculously quick and simple it would make Rachael Ray jealous.

Not so Sloppy Joes!



This is just some TVP (I used Bob's Red Mill) rehydrated in some hot water mixed with half a jar of marinara I had in the fridge (I used the Whole Foods generic). I served up with some leftover roasted potatoes as the only bread I had in the house was Ezeikel Bread, and those make for some difficult Sloppy Joe eating. Simple and good. I won't say the Y-word, but I'll think it.

C is for Cookie!

Thursday was so fantastic. Not only did I have my Boston Organics delivery to look forward to, I also had a package waiting for me. Yay!

I got my cookies from Tania and I was totally excited!



They are so cute, they look like little cookie nuggets. They're very good, some raisins, a hint of something...my boyfriend thinks almond, I think something coconutty.... I don't care, they were really yummy!

Thanks Tania for the great cookies!

What kind of Vegetarian am I?

You scored as vegan vixen. You're a vegan vixen! You use your good looks and body to encourage people to go veg. You're probably a little perky and a little adventurous. You may have tofu-wrestled, worn a lettuce bra, or are about to do one of the two! If you're a guy, consider yourself a virile vegan (vixen generally refers to women...). Though you may have feminist beliefs, it's fine to use sexual attraction to get people to stop eating animals. More on www.goveg.com vegan vixen 78% health-conscious vegetarian 67% militant vegan 50% welfarist vegetarian 33% quiet vegetarian 28% lazy vegetarian 28% new veggie 11% What type of vegetarian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Grrr baby, very grrr...



Bad lighting does a vixen good, I've found...

Treats fit for a SamHound!

I haven't had a chance to run over to Whole Foods or the specialty dog food store to get Sam his Wellness cookies this week. His treat supply was dwindling and I was feeling so very guilty...then I thought I should just make him some treats!

I based the recipe on a recipe I have for human cookies, but tweaked it a little.



My doggie treats

1/4-1/2 cup of oat flour (or whole wheat-Sam's allergic to wheat)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I use crunchy)
1/2 cup natural unsweetened applesauce (I used a plastic single serving cup)
1 medium to large banana
2 1/2 cups oats
1-2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon flax meal (optional)

I used a food processor to do everything. I didn't have oat flour so I just put some rolled oats in my processor and ground it to a course flour. Whole wheat flour would work great, but Sam is allergic! I then added all of the wet ingredients except for the oil and pulsed until everything was combined. I then turned on the processor and added the oil and oats incrementally (I did the oats in 1/2 increments) and kept it going until everything was combined well. The mixture shouldn't be too dry or too sticky. I rolled into balls and baked at 350 for about 15 minutes or so.

This recipe can make quite a few treats depending on the size of the balls you roll. Guaranteed to make your puppy happy. :)

reincarnation or the karma of curry

Friday night I decided to put my ailing eggplant out of its misery and employed it in the only way mushy nearly bad eggplant can be used in an honorable manner. I roasted it and used it in a makeshift curry.

I should have called it "Curry of the Damned" as it contained most of the items in my fridge that were on their last legs, but still clinging. You know, the veggies that you really aren't sure they have another 24 hours left in them. Such was the fate of my mushrooms, my cilantro, my tomatoes, my eggplant, my garlic... I found that steam frying the mushrooms with the garlic and roasting the tomatoes and eggplant until tender provided me with a veritable renaissance of flavor and after adding a can of pinto beans and half a bag of peas, I was left with a rather serviceable dish.

Of course, by the time I had finished with it I decided to just eat my left over chili and save the curry for later.

Sunday I decided that the rest of my veggies needed to be used before I could buy anything else. Solution? Batch cooking!

I made:

~Shepherd's Pie (using leftover mashed potatoes and the other half of the bag of peas)

~Chickpea Broccoli Casserole

~Tempeh Helper (my fancy name for VwaV tempeh sausage crumbles & gravy mixed with mushrooms, corn and steamed collard greens)

The Shepherd's Pie (not fit to be photographed, believe me!) was very good! I used a mix of red and green lentils, carrots, cremini mushrooms and peas for the filling.

Chickpea Broccoli Casserole is SO good! I got fresh broccoli in my Boston Organics delivery, so I used that and some organic carrots. I didn't use the breadcrumbs or the leeks, but it still tasted fabulous.



Tempeh Helper has become my new favorite dish. I think I just love anything flavored with fennel seeds and then adding gravy and CORN on top of that just makes it all better. The greens add a nice touch, and the gravy will get even the pickiest of eaters to dig in! The trick is to water down the gravy enough so that everything in the dish gets coated.




I swear, the beauty of left overs/batch cooking is that not everyone has to eat the same thing! M has been eating Shepherd's Pie two nights in a row and was not jazzed about the potential for leftovers for dinner. I promised him that I would do something good...

The curry was looking a little dessicated, so I heated about a tablespoon of Earth Balance in a pot and put in some curry powder and cumin seeds for umph. After things got sizzling, I added the curry and some soymilk. I added a little more EB for flavor and let it simmer. I cooked some rice and dug out some Trader Joe's Naan out of the bottom of the freezer. The naan, while very tasty is totally not vegan. Since M is an omni and a naan fiend, this tidbit is a non-issue (the punner in me really wanted to have a go there).

And voila! Curry, reincarnated.




Oh, and tip for all of you Trader Joe's fiends out there. If you haven't tried it yet, you HAVE to get some of their frozen Organic Super Sweet Corn. Words can't describe how awesome it is.

Kitchen impossible: Restaurant Coup

There's a restaurant in the Metro West area of suburban Boston that has quickly become one of my new favorites, much to the dismay of the pocket book ;) The whole concept of the restaurant is using local ingredients whenever possible and everything's organic. They are extremely veggie friendly, but do offer chicken and fish on the menu as well. They have great hummus, falafel, salads, pita, stirfries, the list goes on! They also have two of my newest food addictions: succotash and their vegetarian collard greens.

Their succotash is this melange of edamame, red peppers, onion, romaine and some little black things that I can't tell if they are some variety of lentil or sea vegetable. Oh. My. Gosh. Amazing does not begin to describe!

Their collards are nicely done, sweet and sour and VERY spicy. To be honest, I had never tried them before my first visit, but now I can't live without them!

Kitchen Mission: Recreate the goodness of this fantastic place!

To acheive the objective I obtained the following from the store:

Succotash
1 bag frozen shelled edamame
2 red peppers
1 10 oz precut bag of romaine
garlic

Collard Greens
apple juice
one large bunch organic collard greens
red pepper flakes
apple cider vinegar

Recipe 1

Collard Greens



1 large bunch of collard greens
1 cup apple juice
1/8-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
red pepper flakes (as much as you can handle)
a few splashes liquid smoke
1-2 tsp sugar or a scant little bit of stevia
water (if needed for cooking)

Wash and chop greens. Place in pot with liquids, spices and garlic. Cook covered on medium to high heat for at least 15-20 minutes. Add sugar/sweetener to taste.

Recipe 2

Succotash



1 bag edamame (I believe the one I used was about 12 oz)
2 red peppers
1 10 oz bag chopped romaine or equivalent of fresh chopped romaine
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
splash of braggs
splash of rice vinegar

Mince garlic and steam fry in large pan with a little water. Chop peppers into bite size pieces and add to garlic. Add a little more water if needed. Add edamame and cook until edamame are thawed and 'al dente' and peppers are still a little crisp. Add romaine to pan and braggs, vinegar and flax meal. Cook until romaine is wilted.

To complete the meal I whipped up some hummus and made some green beans (just garlic and Earth Balance) and had a meal to be proud of at a fraction of the price.



It was *really* yummy! And I'm also very happy to report that it tasted just as good as the restaurant in question, just a little bit different...

Do you wanna get rocked? And a tale of a-cute cookie failure.

This weekend I went to a concert with a couple of girls from work. This wasn't just any concert, this was a match made in flashback heaven! Journey and Def Leppard! I was never really one for Journey, but I did sing at the top of my lungs to the songs I knew. The guy they had singing was a strange one and we kept on remarking on how he sorta looked like Kato Kaelin (sp?).



Def Leppard though...man! I've liked them since I first spent the night at my friend's house in 2nd or 3rd grade and discovered her music collection (which at that point consisted entirely of Madonna, NKOTB, and Def Leppard). They played really well, and I was just so happy that they played one of my favoritest songs ever, "Love Bites"!

Love also eats. Like me. :)

Today we had originally planned to head over to the LLBean outlet to get some new winter coats, but my other half was feeling under the weather, so I thought today would be a good day to take care of a cooking errand or two. Firstly, I have the cookie swap to do, and I was trying to find a recipe that was a little different and not out of a common cookbook. I really didn't want to make cookies out of Vive le Vegan or Vegan with a Vengeance... Then I remembered that I had printed a recipe off of Vegweb for some double chocolate cookies.



Yes, they look good, don't they? They tasted good...but they were incredibly flat and crumbly. I think the recipe needs some tweaking. Needless to say, those aren't going anywhere. I'm looking into my recipe stash for something a little more reliable.

I'm one of those people that once I get the baking bug, I kind of can't turn it off and keep going with it...

Since the cookies were a failure, I decided to do something easy--muffins! I have tons of carrots that need to be used up in my fridge, so I decided to make some Carrot Raisin Muffins (from VwaV) for my landlord and upstairs neighbors. My landlord lent me her Vitamix to play with so I felt like I needed to do something nice for her.



Mmmmmm...success smells so good! :)

I also decided to tweak another recipe from VwaV and made some Ginger Date Quinoa Muffins based upon the recipe for the Raisin-Ginger Bran Muffins. Yes! Finally a date recipe! :)

But I couldn't stop at just the 'baked goods'! I also made some Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, green beans with white bean gravy, tofu nuggets, and eggplant lasagna!



[sweet potatoes & apples, green beans, and veggie riblet...oh my!]

You'd think I'd be tired, right?

I am! :)

Fruits, vegetables become stuff of poetry

The boyfriend admitted to me last night that the produce delivery excited him too. And here I was thinking he was indifferent! (slaps forehead)
Thursday's our day to get delivery and he sent me this email...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the First Day of Autumn, Boston Organics sent
to me ...

A dozen little yellow potatoes
One head of lettuce
One chubby eggplant
FIVE! SWEET! POTATOES!
Four oranges
Three little green apples
Two beautiful red bell peppers
A pair of forlorn plums

And a bunch of Peruvian bananas!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My only gripe with Boston Organics is their obsession with sending me copious amounts of bananas and plums. I am going to have to make some serious amounts of banana bread and I need to do something with these plums. Perhaps a cobbler? Grilling them and serving them with a balsamic reduction? A fruited quinoa salad? Hmmm....

Following the trend...

It seems that everyone in the blogosphere has been talking about farm sanctuaries, so I thought that Sunday was a good time to visit one. The weather was wonderful (finally) and I found one about 20 minutes or so away...

We went to Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA and from the looks of their website it seemed like the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon. We got there right when they opened to get a good headstart on the day.

I'll let the pictures tell the story of our visit.







I wasn't expecting my picture to be taken. I was having a very zen moment with the mule. He was by far one of the most fantastic animals I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was HUGE! He started getting antsy thinking that I might have had some treats for him but was holding out...very funny.

All in all I had a wonderful experience there, but... On our way out I wanted to pick up some of the lovely vegetables we had seen going in, so I began browsing the boxes, and I peeked in the little open shed like area right next to them. I saw that they had skeins of yarn from their sheep, and much to my horror and disgust they were selling some sort of furry animal hides! I could have sworn I saw a sign saying they were goat skins, but I can't swear to it...

Needless to say, I did not get any produce, nor did I go to the gift shop.

Thursday Night Kitchen Throwdown

Ever walk into your kitchen with the idea of doing one thing and end up doing fifty other things too without noticing or flinching? Sort of stream of consciousness culinary creation. Or something like that.

Picture it, it's about 6:00, I've gotten home from work (read: hell, bane of my existence) and I'm going through the Boston Organics box like a kid going through gifts at Christmahannukwanzakah. (And yes, it was an Acorn Squash...it was labeled on the crate and in the recipe news letter...I'm just not accustomed to new and exciting squash varieties!)



My weekly booty included some of the freakishly cute Paula Red Apples (very tiny, like plums). Now these followed last week's delivery of 4-6 of the little buggers that had just started to make friends with the broccolini and zucchini in my veggie drawer. Now I had some enormous number of size challenged apples...what's a gal to do?

I remembered Emmy's blog with her delicious looking applesauce and went to town on the little midgies. They were so small that I decided to leave the skin on and just washed them really well...

And I ended up with:



Very red applesauce. Insanely sweet with NO sugar/sweetener! And yes, the splatter stains on the stove do make it taste better.

So then I scan my kitchen and spot my bag of baby yukon gold potatoes and there were some starting to grow some interesting appendages. I don't like wasting food at all, so I washed them up, cut off all of the offensive bits and tossed them with some spices and several whole cloves of garlic and threw them into a hot oven. Mmmm...



I'm on a roll now! I remembered that I had some leftovers from the weekend when I attempted to make the Eggplant Paprikash from Fat Free Vegan. I don't know what I did or didn't do, but I didn't like it much. Instead of throwing it out, I rinsed off the sauce and threw the rest into the food processor with the rest of my hot sauce and came up with something akin to spicy babagahummus.



So I'm trying to think of what to do with said babagahummus. I was thinking of thinning it a little and adding some peas and curry powder and calling it dinner... No, too simple, too ordinary, too pedestrian (I get so haughtily verbose when contemplating a food challenge). I then thought back to the success I had last weekend when using the recipe for pizza crust from Urban Vegan and then thought that pizza covered in babagahummus and melty pizza cheese would be a good idea.



Yes, dream became reality, and aside from the cheese being a little thicker than I knew how to handle, it was good (or so I was told). I didn't actually eat much of it.

I snacked on leftovers garnished with potatoes, grilled asparagus (another resurrection from the nearly dead) and applesauce.

I went to bed with such a tummy ache. It was like right after trick or treating and you eat all of the really good candy. Of course, I have eaten spinach every day in the past week...who knows if Mr. Coli might be knocking at my door. Let's hope not!

Name that fruit/vegetable!

So today we got our delivery today from Boston Organics, which is one of the coolest things I've ever gotten into. It's like the organic produce fairy waives her little wand every week and all of a sudden we're some apples/bananas/oranges/lettuce/kiwi/etc richer.

But I have one question...what exactly is this?



I think it's some sort of squash, but not sure... The description I got of it via email was : "grooved melon-like thing with a hide like a rhino".

Sounds enticing.

And in the, "What I would rather be doing right now category" is Sammy, surrounded by his toys. Is it bad that I want to be reincarnated as a spoiled puppy?

Vegan Iron Chef Challenge!

Attention Readers! I've started a Vegan Iron Chef Challenge over on the Veggin Out message board, and I'm posting about it here too. I've chosen an ingredient and I would love to see what all of you lovely kitchen scientists can come up with!

I haven't thought of what sort of prize for the winner, but I'm sure I will think of something before the challenge is over. The challenge will run the month of September. Veggin Out members can post to the board directly or just send entries to me here. Pictures, recipes, reviews...I want it all :)

September's ingredient is: Dates!





The goal is to think outside of the box and get away from the standard 'Date Squares' and 'Date Nut Bread' and put some new spin on the world of Dates!

You are only limited by your creativity and the calendar! You do not have to be a Veggin Out member to participate, but you should join up! It's a fun board! :)

What good boys do...

Why, that would be sitting of course!

Many greys can't sit because it hurts their backs, but this little guy figured out how to do it one day and liked all of the attention he got while he was doing it. So he sits when he wants a treat. He also sits when he wants attention. He sits when there's an arguement and he wants it to stop. He sits when he meets other dogs (sometimes). He sits when he wants to go home and he's been walking outside too long. He sits when he gets really excited. Really, Sammy's all about the sitting.

Isn't he cute?

Food post to follow! :)

Yay! I got tagged!

So now I am like everyone else in the blogosphere and have gotten tagged to name my Top Five Foods someone must try in their lifetime.

Thanks to Nicki for the tag!

Trying to do a list that's a little different because I've seen so many other lists and I don't want to be a copycat!

In no particular order...

Black Bean Soup
I have long been a fan of this delightful concoction and have tried many formulations... There really isn't one that I've ever disliked (excepting the canned variety), I just have to watchout for the non-vegetarian versions. My favorite of all time (not veg...I think they used something disgusting like bacon fat to make it) was the black bean soup from Atticus in New Haven. I haven't had it in like 5 years or so, but I remember how fantastic it tasted with some hot sauce on top...

Sushi
I don't care if you're veg or omni, but one must simply try Sushi once in their life! It's so radically different from the way a lot of us are brought up eating, it's truly a shock to the senses to eat it. My suggestions are Futomaki (the ingredients will vary from place to place, just ask that the egg be replaced with avocado), sweet potato tempura roll, and any veggie roll containing avocado.

Fresh Herbs (particularly Basil and Rosemary)
It's amazing how fresh herbs can be completely mindblowing. I had no idea what basil really tasted like until I was in my late teens! It was even after that that I discovered rosemary and sage, and fennel, and thyme...et al.

Pumpkin Pie
I love pumpkin pie with all of my heart and soul. I have made it 3 million ways, and in my humble opinion I view pumpkin pie with the same analogy that has been made about sex (not be be vulgar, but...I'm quoting) "even when it's bad, it's still good". I almost wish it was Thanksgiving 365 just so I could have an excuse to eat it more often. I'm sure my pants are grateful that the calendar changes.

Gravy
Thinking about pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving lead me to think of my favorite crutch food, the food that got me through childhood, the food that I still crave constantly today--GRAVY! It's odd, but I tell you the veg*n gravy subs that I've found taste just as good or better than what I was eating, and boy, do they hit the spot. Gravy makes anything taste better which is especially useful when you are a very finicky child (I would not eat most things...and what I did eat either had to be drowned or practically brined). Sure, gravy is not a necessity for me anymore as my tastebuds have matured, but I still find it to be my ultimate comfort food.



Now that I think about it...who hasn't ever tried gravy?

Hmmm... Perhaps I should have just said fresh pineapple or water chesnuts... or maybe another childhood favorite (completely not ever vegan or diet friendly) a Peanut Butter Cup Sundae (peanut butter sauce and hot fudge) with Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream (vanilla base with chocolate and peanut butter swirls) and marshmallow creme on top instead of whipped cream topped off with some crushed peanuts and chocolate jimmies.

Gosh, I feel my pants getting smaller just thinking about it! :)

Attack of the cookies!

So I came home today to find my cookies from the swap I did with Primary Consumer had arrived! I was excited, but a little worried because the post office had put a big red stamp on it that said it was damaged in transit. My boyfriend was worried that perhaps some hungry postal worker opened it and munched on them. I proceeded to open the package and it was alright, it was just the actual mailing container that got scrunched.

The real comedy was trying to get the cookie tin opened. I tried. I failed. The boy tried. He failed. I got a spoon to jimmy it open. Failure. Sam is pacing and huffing (He is such a sensitive hound!). I get a knife. Failure (no injuries). The boy tries once more. Victory is his.

Inside the tin of tribulation are the most wonderful cookies! They are a carob chip made with whole grains and flax.



I immediately scarfed one down for quality control purposes. It was amazing. It tastes so good; sinful and healthy at the same time. The boy scarfed one down too. Sam looked hopeful, so I gave him a Sam cookie (Wellness treats) to make him a part of things.

I suggested then that we take pictures of the cookies right away, so on the long trip from the kitchen to the dining room, we both had to have another one. After such grueling exercise, one must refuel.



Apparently little Sam really was in the mood for a refueling too...



In the end we allowed ourselves 2 1/2 cookies a piece...for now. I am going to have to hide them if I want to eat any more of them...

Thank you, Primary Consumer!