Stir Fried Bok Choy and Peanut Noodles

We are nearing the official beginning of the winter season and do you know what that means?? GREENS!!  This girl loves greens more than anyone you'll find.  Guaranteed.  I love them all, and don't think I could pick a favorite.  Maybe collards?  Ooooh, kale.  Maybe kale.  I'll need to wait a few more weeks for those greens I think, but this week we got bok choy!!  I love bok choy for it's leafy tops and cabbage-like flavors.  My favorite way to prepare it is so simple too, which is just another reason to love it even more!

1 bunch of bok choy, chopped

1/2 T canola oil (you can use any oil here, really)

1 t soy sauce

1 T hoisin sauce

Saute the bok choy in the oil until it's wilted but still has a bite to it.  About 5 minutes.  Stir in your sauce and you're done!

With these Asian flavors in the bok choy I thought I'd pair it with some peanut noodles.  Another easy recipe!

8 oz spaghetti

2-3 scallions (I didn't have any onions so I subbed in some onion powder.  Who runs out of onions?)

2 T sesame or peanut oil

1 t minced ginger root

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/4 c reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 c hot water

1 T vinegar (I used red wine, but you can use cider, rice, white wine, etc)

1 t sugar

1/4 t red pepper flakes

Cook the pasta to directions and drain. Save some of the water in case you want to thin your sauce.  Cook your onions in the oil until tender.  Add the ginger and cook for a minute or two.  Add the other ingredients and stir until smooth.  Here's where you'd add some of the pasta water if you want.  Remove from heat and toss with the noodles.

This whole meal took me 15 minutes from start to table.  In case you needed another reason to try it.  :o)

Vegan Parm!

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything, but remember, I'm really bad at this stuff.  This post really doesn't need much "frill".  I have discovered homemade vegan Parmesan and I am a happy girl!

1/2 cup almonds

3 T nutritional yeast

1/4-1/2 t salt 

Grind almonds in the food processor (slivered almonds would be a lot easier to work with, or at least quieter, than the whole) until they are very fine.  Careful it doesn't turn into butter though!

Transfer the almonds to a bowl and add in nooch (nutritional yeast) and salt.  Mix it all together, and voila!  This will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.  

I'm pretty stoked about this because store bought vegan parms are pretty expensive, and in my opinion, it tastes better!

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Well folks, I did it.  I found something that both the kids and we would like without having to change it.  I do believe this was the first meal that we've eaten together where I didn't have to make 2 different versions!  It only took 4 years.....  When it comes to pasta, Lorelai is a bit of a purist: noodles with olive oil and garlic.  No sauce, no basil, no pepper, nothing.  So anytime I make pasta I usually leave some plain noodles aside for her.  Enter the cure for the plain noodle blues - creamy avocado sauce!!  This one was simple, nutritious, and delicious.  I wish I had taken pictures of the kids when they were done.  Scarlett was holding the plate and licking it clean while Lorelai was taking handfuls of the noodles and shoveling them in the face.  No joke.  Hey, at least they ate!

2 avocados

juice of a lemon (I used somewhere between a lemon and a half because Lorelai kept drinking the juice :o) )

1 clove of garlic, grated or about 1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 c olive oil 

salt and pepper to taste

pasta of your choice (mine was linguine) 

Cook pasta to package directions.  While the pasta cooks, mash together the avocados, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper until you get a smooth consistency.  You can use a food processor if you want, but I just used a fork and a spoon.  Once the pasta is done, save a cup or so of the cooking liquid.  Add the olive oil to the sauce and as much pasta liquid as you need until it looks good to you.  I probably added about half a cup.  Toss your noodles around in the sauce and your done!

I served this with some fried artichoke hearts which the girls loved as well. Tonight was a total score for mom!!! 

The Crockpot is our Friend

It's taken me quite a while to get to the point where I can say that I love the crockpot.  I always saw it as only useful for cooking meats.  I hear of people cooking pot roasts, or pulled pork, or chicken.  I couldn't think of anything that I would enjoy being able to be made in a crockpot, so I very rarely used it.  Also, I couldn't see myself getting up in the morning to prep things for dinner that night, especially since I'm more of a "think on the fly" kind of person.  I never know what I want to eat for dinner until about half an hour before I'm starving.  So the idea of getting up with the birds and making dinner seemed ridiculous.  However, I have a dear friend who is absolutely head over heels in l.o.v.e. with her crockpot.  And even though she isn't veg, she would tell me time and time again to give my crockpot another chance.  It's not that I hated it, I actually wanted to love it.  So I listened to my friend and went back to the crockpot with an opened mind.  I started Google-ing  vegan crockpot ideas, and I think I found the mother load.  This is another one from Peas and Thank you and it couldn't be simpler or tastier.  The first time I made this, I realized that if I was going to give this crockpot thing my all I needed an upgrade.  This simply would not do.  

It's filled to the brim and I haven't even put everything in it yet!  So look what I got today.......

AHHHHH!!!!!

Guess who's excited?  ME!  And I could think of nothing better to initiate it with than this recipe.  

1 onion, chopped

1 sweet potato, cubed

1 bunch kale, chopped

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 can lite coconut milk

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 t cinnamon (I used a little less than this)

1 t curry powder

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t chili powder

1/4 t nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Dump everything in the crockpot except for the kale.  Put the lid and and set it to low for 6 hours.  Add the kale, and continue leave it until the kale is tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Look at how much more room I have! 

 That's it, folks.  You can eat it as is or I like to put it over rice to sock up all that yummy juice.   

 Note: If you haven't embraced the crockpot but still want to try this dish, you can cook it in a stock pot/soup pot.  Just saute the potato and onion until tender, add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook for about 30 minutes. 

Happy slow cooking!!

Green Smoothie Time!

Yesterday was my Granny's birthday.  To celebrate, our family took her to her favorite restaurant - Cracker Barrel.  As you may remember, we grew up in the South so she loves that old fashion southern cooking.  And while I appreciate my roots, that type of food is not quite my cup of sweet tea.  :o)  Sadly, the only thing on the menu that was vegan, or even vegetarian, was a tossed salad that consisted of iceberg lettuce and tomatoes.  Even the vegetables were cooked in, as they called it, "meat seasonings".  A.K.A., lard.  With just this salad, I was a bit hungry when we got home!  But on the bright side, it was a great opportunity to make a yummy, green, protein packed smoothie!  I originally found this recipe at Peas and Thank You.  I absolutely love this site, so I highly suggest it. 

Don't mind the popcorn kernels in the background :o)

This smoothie is a complete meal - it has a green, a grain, and tons of protein.  Oh, and it tastes awesome.  What more could you want?

2 cups spinach

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup silken (soft) tofu (you can sub yogurt here if you'd like, but give the tofu a try.  I promise it does not change the taste!)

1/4 cup oats

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used hemp protein, but I absolutely hate it in anything other than smoothies or baked goods.  I'm in the market for a better, vegan, protein powder so if you know of one let me know!)

1 T almond butter (you can definitely sub peanut butter here)

1 t vanilla 

sweetener of choice - mine was agave nectar, and I used a teaspoon or so

about 10 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy!!

Yes that is an Ohio State garden gnome...don't ask!

The consistency might be a little thin to be a smoothie; it's more between a smoothie and a juice. Whatever it is, I love it.  And I'm pretty sure it's a better option than vegetables cooked in lard.  :o)

Veggies gone Indian

We love all types of food and all kinds of flavors, but our favorite seems to be Indian.  There's something about the warmth that I get from a big bowl of curry that just makes me smile.  It's also a great way to use up whatever veggies are lying around.  And guess who had some of those??  ME!  

I have a general spice blend that I use most of the time: cumin, coriander, ginger, and garam masala.  I usually use equal amounts of each, but you can play around with that.  And if you haven't used garam masala before, I highly suggest you pick some up next time you're at the store.  Or, if you're feeling adventurous, here's an easy recipe to make this wonderful blend at home.

As I said before, Indian dishes are a great way to use up veggies, so feel free to play around here.  

1 bell pepper

1 onion

2 carrots

1 bunch of okra

1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomates pureed in the food processor (to me, this gets the perfect consistency and I can control how smooth/chunky the sauce is)

1/2 can or so of coconut milk

1 1/2 t cumin

1 1/2 t garam masala

1 t coriander

1 t ginger (ground)

1 t chili powder

1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Saute all veggies except okra in a pan with a little oil of choice.  When they start to get tender, add your okra and spices.  Stir frequently to prevent sticking work and add a little more oil or water if necessary.  NOTE: yes, I realize that okra will be sticky, but the quicker you are with it the better.  And it will lose that slimy consistency as it cooks, so don't worry.  I've found that the more often I stir the less slimy the okra becomes.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the veggies are tender.  Add tomatoes and milk and let it gently bubble away.  Adjust your seasonings, and serve over saffron basmati rice and a side of naan.

Action shot!!

gently bubbling away

The beginning of saffron rice, recipe soon to come

Yes, please!!!!

    

Noodle Soup!

I made soba noodles the other night for dinner and have been thinking of a way to use up the leftover noodles.  I could think of nothing better than soup.  I'm a huge soup fan, especially for a weekend lunch.  They're so easy and quick to put together.  Plus, I can use it as a way to use up leftover veggies.  I went with Asian inspired flavors today, but the nice thing about soup is you can do whatever you want!

1 qt vegetable stock (look for low sodium)
1-2 water
1 carrot, peeled and julliened
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 -2 cups fresh spinach
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T ginger, minced
3 T soy sauce (use low sodium here too)
4 oz soba noodles, cooked to package directions or use leftover noodles if you have them

In a stock pot add all ingredients (except the spinach & noodles) and bring to a simmer.  Cover until veggies are tender and add the spinach.  Put noodles in bowls and ladle the broth over noodles.  

That's it!  Super easy, delicious, and satisfying.  :o)

Best Ever Pretzel Dip

That's right, I said it.  Best. Ever.  This is super easy to put together, and you probably already have the ingredients on hand.  So without further adieu.....

3 T Red Raspberry Preserves

3 T Spicy Brown Mustard

1 1/2 T Agave Necter

1/2 t Garlic Powder

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy.  That's it!! 

I only made half of the recipe because Little Miss Scarlett will eat the whole thing if it's there.  :o)  I think this could make a great glaze/sauce for tofu too.  I haven't tried it yet, but I might need too soon!

She approves!

Southern Lovin'

I'm a Southern girl at heart.  Growing up in North Carolina, I think that every family gathering involved greens and something fried.  Even to this day, if you're at one of my family's holiday dinners you can count on eating some greens, usually collards.  Although I was raised on these dark leafy veggies, I didn't start to appreciate them until recent years.  It was probably when I joined our local CSA and was introduced to the winter session.  This included sometimes 3 bunches of greens per share.  If you weren't familiar with greens before, you would be within a week or two!  Now, I love them and nutritional benefits are like no other.  So that's a plus.

Here's an easy and healthful recipe that I found from the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart website.  Lots of great ideas there, so check it out!

1 cup vegetable broth or water
3 cups drained cooked or canned beans (I used 1 can of red kidney and 1 can of black)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 bunch of your green of choice, mine was kale
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste 

Tabasco sauce, to taste

Apple cider vinegar

Combine beans, broth or water, and garlic in a large saucepan. Place chopped kale on top of beans and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until kale is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in oil, salt, black pepper, and Tabasco sauce to taste.  Drizzle with vinegar, just the way we did it in the South!  :o)

I served mine over garlic-y couscous and topped with the easiest fried okra ever.  Hey, I said we always had a green and something fried, right?  The okra isn't even a recipe it's so easy, but here's what I did...

Chop fresh okra, put in a bowl, and cover with cold water.  Sit in the fridge for an hour.  Drain the okra and toss in cornmeal (I seasoned the cornmeal with salt, pepper, and paprika).  Fry in batches in half an inch or so of oil.  Drain on paper towels and you're done. 

Enjoy!!

A Chai High

I know it's still 100°+ outside, but that doesn't stop me from getting all giddy over a nice cup of hot chai.  If you haven't had it before, I will pretend I don't know you on the streets.  No, not really, but you really should try it.  It's creamy, sweet, and exotically spicy.  If you haven't made it before, you will probably need to pick up the ingredients since they're aren't your normal pantry items.  Remember, exotically spicy.  But, don't let that stop you; believe me, it's worth it.  The spices will last forever, so you will have a cup of chai at your fingertips for long time to come.  This is the recipe that I've been using, but feel free to play with it.  

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

8 cardamom pods

6 black peppercorns

a few slices of ginger

1 T loose black tea (I think I used darjeeling, but you can use whatever you'd like)

6 cups water

Put all of the ingredients except for the tea in a pot and bring to a low boil.  Once boiling, add the tea and turn the stove down to low.  I used one of the metal mesh steep-ers (I have no idea what they're really called, but that sounds good to me).  Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes if you like it weak, or 10 if you like it strong.  Strain into mugs and add your favorite non dairy milk (I love almond) and sweeten with agave nectar.  This will be about 4 servings.  I left it on the stove all day and kept going back.  In my opinion, it just gets better the longer it sits!

I added a bit too much milk here, but you get the idea

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!!

Not so French Onion and Mushroom Soup

Hello friends!

So the other night the hubby went out on a "man date" for his fantasy football draft.  Yep, it's that time again!  So I decided to use this time to myself to make something that I wouldn't make for him - mushrooms.  The guy hates them, and it's just sad.  I love them, all of them.  Anything and everything about them.  The hubby, he will only refer to them as "fungus".  Those poor, tasty bites get no respect from him!  :o)

I was in a comfort mood and nothing sounded better than curling up on the couch watching chick shows and enjoying a big, steaming bowl of soup.  The first thing that came to mind - french onion.  I've never made it before, because to be quite honest, I was intimidated.  I wasn't sure I had enough tissues in the house for all of the tears I would cry from chopping all of those onions.  Also, it's traditionally made with beef stock which isn't up my alley. 

Now, I know what you're thinking.  I thought she said she wanted mushrooms?  Remember how I said I was intimidated from all of the onions?  Well I decided to cut the amount of onions in half and replace it with an array of mushrooms!  It came out so good that I ended up having 3 bowls......yep.

3 large onions or 4 medium ones, sliced

2 portobella caps, sliced

1 lb button mushrooms, sliced

1 pkg dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted and copped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1-2 T flour

1/2 -1 cup wine (depending on your tastes)

5 cups veggie stock

1 bay leaf

1 t dried thyme 

1 T Worcester sauce (check your ingredients, some are not vegetarian)

olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 t dried dill - optional  (I love dill with mushrooms, so I used it here.  Totally optional.)

In a large pot, saute onions in olive oil on medium heat until golden.  This can take about 30 minutes, but don't try to rush it.  Add your mushrooms, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, Worcester, and salt.  Cook down until the mushrooms a dark and tender.  Add your flour and stir until you can't see it any more.  Add your wine and allow it to cook down for a few minutes.  Add your stock, cover, and lower the heat.  Simmer for as long as you like, until you're happy with the flavor.  I think I kept mine on for about 15 minutes or so.  At this point I added the dill.  I waited until the end to keep the flavor fresher.  Once you pour it into bowls, top with a cheesy baguette - I melted mozzarella Daiya on some toasted sourdough.

Enjoy!!

Sweet Potato and Avocado Panini

Well, I told you that this recipe was coming soon, so you shouldn't be too surprised to see this post.  :o)  I was so excited to try this sandwich, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!  The hubby and I both thought it was awesome and well worth the effort.  So without further adieu.....

1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick

1 avocado, sliced

1 yellow onion, sliced in rounds

Garlic Mayo 

Bread of choice (I used sourdough)

Preheat oven to 350.  Place the potatoes and onions on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for 10 minutes more.  While the veggies are baking, prepare the mayo (you have to believe me when I say this stuff is a-maz-ing).  Brush the outsides of the bread with olive oil.  I sprinkled the bread with some dried rosemary as well; I love rosemary with sweet potatoes and there's also some rosemary in the mayo so I wanted to mirror that. Spread the garlic mayo on the other sides of the bread, then layer on your sweet potatoes and onions. 

Place the other piece of bread with the mayo and olive oil and close her up.  Grill until the bread is golden and crispy.  Since the veggies are cooked, you only need to grill these until your happy with the color.  Take them off and remove the tops.  Placed the sliced avocado on then put the tops back on. 

You can play around with this: add tomatoes, cheese, bell peppers, whatever you like.  I liked it just as is, but I might add some Daiya mozzarella shreds next time, we'll see.  

So give this one a try.  I hope you love it!!

Sandwich Possibilities

I was surfing around on the web today and came across an interesting sounding sandwich.  One Sweet Vegan has a recipe for a  Garnet Yam and Avacado Panini.  I am intrigued.  

I've never thought of these two flavors going together and now it's all I can think about.  And luckily for this Veg over here, I have two beautiful yams hanging out on my counter.   

 

 So be expecting my rendition of this sandwich to pop up sometime soon.  Are there some interesting flavor combinations that you've had success with?  I'd love to hear them!

Eggplant Curry.....Mmmmmm

The third Wednesday of the month is my favorite Wednesday.  "Why?", you ask.  Because it's cooking demo day at our local CSA.  There are always some yummy recipes and are great for inspiration.  Last demo day I tried an eggplant curry that I couldn't stop thinking about.  It was simply delicious!  They didn't have a recipe printed for it, so I was left to think about how I would recreate that dish with the eggplant that I had received in my share.  After some recipe searching online and not really finding anything that looked or sounded like the dish I had tasted, I decided to give it a go anyway.  The end result was surprisingly tasty!  And guess who got more eggplant in her share this week?  ME!  Very excited to make this again!

Here's the recipe that I came up with.  Even if you're not a fan of eggplant you should give this one a try!  The most time consuming part of this is roasting the eggplant.  It needs to roast for about 30 minutes, but if you do this step ahead of time you can throw the dish together in about 15 minutes.  I read a tip that you should always poke holes in your eggplant before roasting or you run the risk of an explosion in your oven.  I didn't want to test that theory, so I poked the holes.  :o)  Once the eggplant had cooled I removed the skin and scooped out what seeds I could.  I was worried that if I left too many seeds it would be bitter, but not sure if it would have made a noticeable difference or not.  Then I just mashed it up with a fork, covered it in a bowl, and put it in the fridge until it was time to cook.  

Ingredients

1 large eggplant or several small ones 

1 onion

4 or 5 medium sized tomatoes

1 T fresh ginger finely chopped
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 t cumin seeds
1 t mustard seeds
1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t ground tumeric

1/2 t garam masala

Oil of choice

Over medium heat, coat the bottom of a large sauce pan with oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds.  Once they pop, add your onions, garlic, ginger, and spices.  Stir well and cook until onions are soft.  Add your eggplant and mash it around with the other ingredients.  Cook for about 5 minutes then add your tomatoes.  **HINT** I put the tomatoes in my ninja (you can use a food processor) and pulsed it a couple of times.  This made for the perfect consistency and also kept all of the juices, which are absolutely necessary.  I actually used the ninja to chop my onions too; they come out perfect and rustic!  :o)  Ok, back to the recipe.  Mash everything together.  I mashed until the eggplant was nearly annihilated.  At this point, take about half of your dish (or more, depending on how you would like the consistency), put it in the food processor, and puree.  Add it back to the pan, and at this point, I like to add a handful or two of frozen peas.  Feel free to leave this out, but I think it adds to the texture, flavor, and look of the dish.  You're done!  Serve with some basmati rice and naan.  

I hope you enjoy!!

Here we go.....

Ok, I'm going to let you guys know right off the bat that I'm really bad with these kinds of things.  Like really bad.  I've done blogs in the past and can never seem to keep up with them.  But as I've said in the past, "This time is different!"......  Wish me luck!

So over the last several years the way I think about food has changed, and thus the food I eat has changed.  I've gone from carnivore, to no red meat, to nothing with a head (except maybe some leafy greens!), to what I like to call, "vegan-ish".  I want to share my experiences with food.  I get so many, "Well, what do you eat then?" comments.  My answer is always a lot of amazing food!  I love to cook, and on my top ten list of things I love to do, eating is definitely towards the top.  I'm going to end this initial post though because it's time to, well, eat!  :o)