Foods & Fads

It snowed yesterday!

So we made what we think will be our last snowman of the year....










Which is kinda weird, since this is what we were doing just the day before....

That's Spring in Idaho for ya.










Liv's favorite cookie! Oatmeal chocolate chip. I use the recipe 'Oatmeal Raisin Cookies' from The Joy of Vegan Baking and simply sub in the chips. I LOVE that this recipe uses ground flaxseed instead of eggs.
I sent some of these cookies with Art to band practice the other night. Art produced the band's CD and also will be playing guitar for a few numbers at their Record Release Show. You can check them there:
www.the-invasion.com


'Wolffie's Banana Blueberry Muffins' from La Dolce Vegan!

These muffins are really good - light & moist. I always omit the ginger and use vanilla soy milk.

When I want an easy & reliable recipe, I turn to Sarah Kramer. Who is Wolffie, anyway??





'Crock Pot Stew'. I've made this once or twice before, but this time I topped it with Lightlife Steak Style Strips. If you haven't tried the strips before, you should. They are really good and are super easy to prepare.








'Blueberry Cake' from The Joy of Vegan Baking for my friend's birthday. (At some point in life, one candle is sufficient)

Ann doesn't like things overly sweet or fattening. I wanted her to enjoy the dessert without feeling guilty, so I thought this would be perfect. Her first post-bite words were, "Light, delicately sweet. Mmmm, this is really good!"



For an appetizer, I served an old favorite of mine -- Dreena Burton's 'Cornmeal-coated Polenta Fries' from the Dec. '06 issue of VegNews. (#52)

The dipping sauce is my own creation!

1 package Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1 can Mandarin Oranges
Many squirts SRIRACHA Hot Chili Sauce

More Recent Eats (hits & misses)

'Corn Muffins' with blueberries from The Joy of Vegan Baking. I used flaxseed instead of Ener-G egg replacer and vanilla flavored soy milk. The recipe doesn't specify, but I think I shouldn't have drained the can of corn, as the mixture was quite thick making the muffins dense. I liked them well enough, but the girls didn't.
Does anyone else listen to Colleen's podcast, Compassionate Cooks? They are super informative & interesting.



That chocolate craving hit us, so I endorsed a batch of 'Bitchtastic Brownies' because the recipe was printed in VegNews (#60) and also because "Skinny Bitch" is in my purse for reading on the go. This picture depicts the best part of our brownies -- scraping down the bowl and licking the spatula. Did I make a mistake? Was that a recipe misprint? The batter seemed runny with 3/4 cup silken tofu plus oil, and only a 1/3 cup flour. Whatever the reason, our brownies resembled gooey fudge, which Liv enjoyed with a spoon until I said "No more."

I love cooking with my crock-pot, so naturally, I was most excited to come across this page of recipes from VegCooking. I followed this recipe exactly for the 'Crock-Pot Chili' adding the optional veggie burger crumbles (Morning Star).
Verdict? Let's just say that If I were going to a chili cook-off tomorrow, this is what I'd making tonight! With a couple minor adjustments like more red pepper flakes, and Art requested sauteed seitan on top next time.



Here's the finishing touches for another recipe from this month's VegNews (#60) 'Irish Soda Bread' by Robin Robertson. This was a quick bread to make from scratch and delicious, too.

Perfect for soaking up chili.







The bread was served warm with a slather of Earth Balance, alongside the chili, topped with a dollop of vegan sour cream, parsley from my AeroGarden, and a ring of steamed kale.

We enjoyed this meal very much! The girls wouldn't touch this meal with a ten-foot pole, but I have high hopes!





Scanning the freezer reminded me that we still had lots of fresh-frozen cherries from last summer. I spotted a blueberry cobbler recipe in The Joy of Vegan Baking, subbed in my cherries, and before you know it, we were eating 'Cherry Cobbler' like it was July.







Taking the skin off garlic is one of Liv's favorite ways to help in the kitchen. This one gave us an extra lesson on how things grow... For example, did you know dinosaurs are the same color as garlic shoots?!








Finally, I couldn't resist making 'White Bean and Kale Soup' which won "Best Soup" in Vegetarian Times', March '08 issue. It was flavorful with yams, great Northern beans, kale, & curry powder -- though it called for smoked paprika, which I can not find anywhere in town. Suppose smoked paprika has penetrated the Idaho state border? Questionable. I should probably just take Julie's advice and visit Penzey's.

Some new favorites

These are 'Jam-Filled Oat Bran Muffins' from The Joy of Vegan Baking (turn to page 46 for a photo of what they should really look like!) Much lovelier indeed, but I'll tell you, these were so delicious, like a yummy bowl of oatmeal on the go - lightly sweetened with your favorite jam. I ate the entire batch by myself over a 3 day period (I tried to share), and the last one was as delicious as the first. I'll be making these again very soon! Hmmm, what jam to use next... I love this cookbook even more!


While scanning Nava Atlas' "The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet" thinking to myself what a cool cookbook concept, I got the idea to try it myself. Use only 5 ingredients, and try to make it taste good!

My 5-Ingredients: black beans, coconut milk, elephant garlic, carrots, & serrano pepper.

What would your 5-Ingredients be???



Clean, chop, and saute 2 carrots, 1 clove garlic, and the pepper, then cover to steam with 2 tablespoons water (water doesn't count as an ingredient... right?). Drain & rinse the beans, place in a soup pot, add the coconut milk, and the carrot mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer until you can easily fork a carrot. Let it cool, then whiz it in your food processor with 1/2 cup water to desired consistency. Garnish with shredded carrot. I didn't even add salt (that would be another ingredient... right?) to the soup, and it was yummy, but what can I say, I love coconut!

Perhaps I'm the last blogger to have tried Dreena's 'Tamari-Roasted Chickpeas' from eat, drink & be vegan, though I don't know why. I knew I'd love this recipe, I just didn't know how much. Chickpeas are my thing, and usually I just eat them out of the can, so I'm excited about this new way of eating them, and of course, I opted for the coconut oil here.

Speaking of... Did ya hear? Dreena's next VegNews article will be in the March/April issue - a hemp feature! I'm hemp to that!

Cherrybrook Kitchen

A dear friend was coming over for lunch so that we could celebrate her birthday. I decided to try these Cherrybrook Kitchen baking mixes I brought home from California.

It's a dairy free, egg free, and nut free line of baking mixes. We read through the ingredient list just to find out exactly what was inside the box. We nodded in agreement recognizing each item and that we actually had it stocked in our own kitchens.


And, the cupcakes were delicious! Even my finicky daughter, who often shuns sweets, thought these were the absolute bomb. Hey, I felt good serving one of these for dessert after a healthy meal was eaten, and she thought the exchange was good, too. I used the chocolate cake and chocolate frosting mixes. Too bad they don't sell this at our Co-op, but looking at the Cherrybook store finder, I see that Fred Meyer does. As a mom, these mixes are the perfect solution for classroom treats, which need to accommodate food allergies.

We made another snowman! Even though most of the snow is melted by now, we've had more this year than in the recent past. This is such good news!

Anyone else have good news to share? I'd love to read your answers to this question posed recently by Cafe VegNews.

The Joy Of VEGAN BAKING

Look what I got in the mail yesterday! The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. You've seen her column in VegNews, and ask a vegan, plus all sorts of other great accomplishments.

But let's talk about this cookbook! It's thick (287 pages) with full page photos on about every third page. She offers tips, serving suggestions, food lore, and clears up cooking confusion with clear explanations. This is the closest thing I've seen to a vegan baking "Bible" covering the full range. To help us find our way through the 15 chapters of baking options, she also sorts her recipes by ingredient, seasons, and celebrations & occasions.

I'm becoming somewhat of a vegan cookbook collector, and this one definitely deserves a tiara! I'm impressed.


I decided to make the 'Pumpkin Spice Bread' for the girl's snack since we were painting pumpkins and feeling very Fall-ish.

I appreciate her option of using either Ener-G Replacer or ground flaxseed, and I used the later. I used 1/3 ww flour and 2/3 white, which is the balance I seem to prefer. Being out of ground cloves, I subbed pumpkin pie spice. The rest was straight up, and of course I added the optional chocolate chips.


The verdict? Fit for a princess! Delicious. This recipe makes a lot. For me it yielded a full-sized loaf pan and 12 muffins. She recommends making 4 mini loaves to give as gifts, which would be a great treat to share. The girls are eating some of the left-over loaf for breakfast as I type -- and it's awesome the next day, too! I really can't wait to fully explore this cookbook, and at the moment, the book remains open, either in the kitchen or on the nightstand! :)

Double Chocolate Decadence Cookie

I found a new vice today! Since seeing ads in VegNews, I've wanted to try an Alternative Baking Company cookie. Their goal is to make the best cookie in the galaxy, and aside from homemade, I'd say mission completed. The cookie is moist and full of flavor. What it lacks is hydrogenated oils, cholesterol, preservatives, artificial ingredients, refined sugars, eggs, dairy, and honey. On top of all that, it seems like a really cool company. The back of the packaging explains why one should eat organic and vegan. Do yourself a favor and have a cookie!

Southern Seitan (cue 'The Devil went Down to Georgia')

We really enjoyed this meal yesterday!

Bryanna's 'Vegan Pork Tenderloin' tops steamed organic Collard Greens. Beside that is Robin Robertson's 'Skillet Cornbread' surrounded by tomatoes from a friend's bountiful garden. I prefer collards with a little Earth Balance, sea salt, and a big squeeze of lemon juice.





You need to make the 'Vegan Pork Tenderloin' the day or more before. Plan ahead, it takes well over 4 hours from start to finish, and then, it's best after being in the fridge overnight. It's a great thing to do while laundry is going, and it's really quite fun and easy. Here I'm forming the dough to place in my Romertopf clay cooker with the cooking broth waiting to be poured on. I've printed out the recipes from the Everyday Dish DVD, and keep them in a file folder.


This is our favorite faux meat recipe. Just look at how nicely it slices, and it tastes great. When we eat packaged faux meat products at home, it's usually because we're out of this. This time, I used bbq sauce instead of ketchup in the basting broth, and Art used the same sauce to saute it in on the stove.

On my quest to find more recipes like this, I emailed Bryanna, and found out she is working on a seitan e-book. I can't wait for it to be available!

The 'Skillet Cornbread' recipe is in this month's VegNews (p. 63). The article convinced me to break out our cast iron skillet, but first I needed to season it:

1. Scour thoroughly with hot water and soap; dry
2. Coat with cooking oil (vegetable works well)
3. Heat in 300* oven for an hour
4. Remove excess oil after cooled

We really enjoyed the cornbread! Art says it's possibly the best he's eaten. It was crusty outside & soft inside. I think using a cast iron skillet makes all the difference.

Mostly repeats

We ate yummy stuff yesterday -- some tried and trues! The Spring rain showers got me in the mood to stay inside and cook. I love days like that.

We started off with 'Wolffie's Banana Blueberry Muffins' from La Dolce Vegan! (pg. 274) I've made these before, but this time I left out the ginger & only did 1 tbsp. molasses, and the girls liked them much better this time.



When I'm inside on a chilly day, I like to have the aroma & promise of soup on the stove. I was in the mood again for 'Earthy Lentil Soup' from Vive le Vegan! (pg 75) but that's a little difficult when you're out of lentils! (bummer!) Fortunately, I noticed that I had almost everything for the soup on the previous page, 'Chipotle Corn Black Bean Soup' I only had one can of black beans, so I used that along with red beans. I also didn't have an avocado for the garnish, so I topped mine with a scoop of Tofutti 'Better Than Cream Cheese', sliced green onion, and fresh cilantro from my herb barrel, & a lime wedge. This soup is fabulous!
Only Organic Herb Barrel:

Starting at 11 o'clock you see the cilantro, an unknown spice, fernleaf dill, English thyme, rosemary, sweet basil, and in the middle is marjoram.


I enjoy going outside to clip fresh herbs for a recipe -- it's very satisfying on many levels to eat what you grow.


I've made both 'My Sauce' and the 'Cornmeal-coated Polenta Fries' before, and they are a big snacking hit at our home. The fry recipe is from a feature Dreena wrote for VegNews (#52), and my sauce goes like this:

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
Mandarin Oranges (drained and mashed)
Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
Smile-y face optional! :o)

Cornmeal-coated Polenta Fries + My Sauce

Dreena wrote an article for VegNews (#52) and shared three recipes. This one is delicious & a snap to make!

You Need: polenta tube, olive oil, fine cornmeal, sea salt, fresh rosemary (I used thyme)

How To: preheat oven 450*, line baking sheet w/parchment paper. Cut polenta in half lengthwise, and slice 1/3 inch thick. Toss polenta in olive oil, dredge in cornmeal, sprinkle with salt & herb. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once or twice until lightly browned.

My Sauce: Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, Mandarin Oranges (drained and mashed), Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese.

This has that addictive snacking quality -- perfect for parties or beside an Amy's burger. Here you see what a half tube of polenta produced -- I'll make the balance this weekend for Art.

Coconut, Celeraic, & Cookbook

These are 'Banana-Coconut Muffins' from VegCooking (recipe here). These muffins are fabulous! Art, Abigail, and I gobbled them all up as soon as they cooled. The banana makes them super-moist and I put some tin foil on top towards the end so the coconut wouldn't toast beyond my liking. Art put Earth Balance on his, while Abi and I ate ours plain. Liv refused to try them even though they looked suspiciously like cupcakes --- specifically VwaV's 'Coconut Heaven Cupcakes' (pg. 227). If you're a coconut lover like myself, you gotta try these recipes.

'Vicki's Celeraic Lentil Soup'
1 Celery Root, peeled & cubed
5 Carrots, cleaned & sliced
5 Serrano Peppers, minced
7 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Bunch Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 lb. Green Lentils, washed & I found a rock!
2 tsp. Curry Powder
2 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Cardamom
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
8 C. H2O

In a stockpot, saute the garlic and Serrano in olive oil over medium heat. Add the celeraic, carrots, & spices and saute a bit longer. Add the water, lentil, & parsley and put the lid on. Bring to an almost boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour or more. Garnish with some fresh parsley.

Yeaah, the library emailed me saying that 'Healthy At 100' was returned and waiting for me. Since reading the John Robbins interview by Joseph Connelly in VegNews (52), I've been wanting to read this book. Other than the dishes, this is my agenda tonight. Here's the Contents:
1. The World's Healthiest and Longest Lived Peoples
2. Our Food, Our Lives
3. The Body-Mind Connection
4. Why Your Love Matters
5. The Human Spirit

And, look at my new & pretty cookbook! In (yet another article) inside VegNews (51), they review the author's organic farm bed & breakfast near Victoria B.C. In the article, Matthias gives her recipe for 'Sweet Pepper Coconut Corn Chowder' which I tried, and it was so scrumptious that I had to get the cookbook. There are several recipes I'm looking forward to. Has anybody stayed at the Phoenix Organic Farm? I've always wanted to see the Butchart Gardens, which I guess is 10 minutes away.

Currant Apple & Oat Muffins, Millet and Root Stew, and a Vegan Cupcake

Currant Apple & Oat Muffins
1 C. Dried Currants
1 med. Apple (peeled & Chopped)
3/4 C. Vanilla Silk
1/3 C. Granulated Sugar
1/4 C. Canola Oil
1 C. All-purpose Flour
1 C. Quick Oats
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Allspice
2 Tbsp. Florida Crystals

Preheat oven to 400*F. Oil or line 12 muffin cups. Combine fruit, soy milk, sugar and oil. In another bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined. Divide batter between the cups. Sprinkle tops with Florida Crystals (or Brown Sugar). Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This is basically a veganized version of the recipe off the Sun*Maid Zante Currants box.

Abi and Jolie enjoyed the muffins very much. But they'll eat just about anything! :o)


The true test of a successful recipe around here is if Liv will eat it. She can be a toughie, but she really liked these muffins. So did I. This doesn't happen very often, so I'm taking note and throwing this one into the regular muffin rotation hopper! Next time, perhaps dried cherries, blueberrries, or raisins instead of currants.

Isn't she a cutie-pajutie in her rainboots?! (no storm in sight) She leaves them outside the door so she can throw them on in a hurry outside. The Mums behind were blooming like that in late October!








I love raking leaves. It's great exercise, but not too rigerous. It is outdoors in the crisp Fall air, and the kids gather around to help. Even Jolie runs through the pile chasing a squirrel from time to time. I've raked leaves everyday for the past week (body is sore) and there are still a few hanging on to the branches, but not many. Most of the trees are bare now and it is looking more like Winter.

This is becoming one of my favorite cookbooks.




My first recipe was 'Millet and Burdock Root Stew' page 84. I did not have (nor have ever heard of) Burdock Root, so I subbed in a sweet potato (white one). The rest of the recipe was straight, except I left out the mushrooms & ginger because I just don't like them.

I'm telling you, this was a delicious and satisfying meal. I'll be making this again





Here it is! The moment I've been waiting for... My first cupcake from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World (Congrats on being Cookbook of the Year @ Veg News Veggie Awards).

It is:

Simple Vanilla and Agave Nectar Cupcake (44)

Not-Too-Sweet Blueberry Mousse (153)

I topped with some electric blue sugar crystals!

Herbivore Restaurant & Lombard Street (San Francisco Post 3 of 3)

If you're in San Francisco, you gotta go to Herbivore. It's stylish, fresh, reasonably priced, and completely vegan. Herbivore features a cross-cultural menu from the Middle East, Thailand, China, Italy, and India. Next time, I think I'll try the Seitan Shawarma or Lemongrass Rice Noodles with grilled vegetables. There are so many choices, and you can check out the menu at the above link. There are two locations to choose from, and we went to the one in the Mission District because it's conveniently on the way to the airport.



We were famished, so we began with this from the Starters selection.

Crisp Tacos:
Two crisp tacos with soy protein, beans, tofu cheese, guacamole, lettuce, and salsa

Good thing I took a photo because these tacos disappeared like magic. They were so flavorful, and it made me think that vegan cheese might not be so bad afterall.

Washing it down was a San Pellegrino Limonata.


Art's Lunch:
Marinated Tofu Sandwich on Focaccia Bread:
with avocado, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, & pickles. Served with seasoned potatoes and green salad with dijon mustard dressing.

Mine:
Baked Falafel Wrap:
seasoned onions, fresh tomatoes, hummus, hot sauce, pickles, & tahini dressing in a wrap with a green salad with potatoes and eggplant.

I usually don't like wraps or burritos because they get too soggy & fall apart. Glad I took a chance with this one. They have a super-hoopified style. Only one hand necessary to hold it, no drips, no falling apart, & not just stuffed with lettuce, either. It was solid.



This is the kind of place you could easily eat at everyday. In fact, in this month's Veg News, there is an article, "The 20 Best Restaurants for Everyday Dining -- Dine out and dine well without breaking the bank," in which Herbivore is featured. It says, "Though this restaurant bills itself as 'the earthly grill,' it's more like veg heaven..." I totally agree with that statement.


Are you looking for a Veg friendly get-away? Try San Franciso. You might wonder if San Francisco can be affordable? Yes. Here are some hotels to get you started:






Metropolis Hotel -- Rooms start @ $99 There is a suite for children, and packages for dogs.

The Phoenix Hotel -- Rooms start @ $139 The "rock 'n' roll" hotel near the Civic Center. Art has stayed here... along with a bunch of other people! :o)

Hotel California -- Rooms start @ $139 Millennium is located in this hotel, near Union Square.

Cornell Hotel -- Rooms start @ $85 with shared bath, or $110 with private bath. Rate includes breakfast!

This last photo was taken on the famous Lombard Street -- and off in the distance, you see Coit Tower.