A Second Chance

Although this photo has nothing to do with the title of this post, I just had to put it up first on the "line up." These are the Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Blondies from Vw/aV, and they were as good as they smelled - perhaps better! The photo does not do them justice (or rather, my digital photo taking abilities don't do them justice!). If you haven't made these yet, they are the simplest things to make, while still impressive looking. The best thing I have to say about these is - they taste better cooked than as raw dough! (That's my highest praise). I used my favorite childhood seedless red raspberry jam - the best there is - made by Trappist Monks in my home state of Massachusetts.

I brought these lovely treats to my veggie group as promised, and there were hardly a couple bites to take home! Everyone asked for the recipe - I urged them to buy the whole book! :) The combination of raspberry and chocolate was sublime. However, coconut freak that I am, I know that I will be trying Dreena's Coconut Raspberry Squares for the next meeting. They will be far lower in sugar and fat, too!


So, here is the photo, or meal rather, that prompted this post's title, "A Second Chance." This is Isa's Mango-Ginger Tofu , also from Vw/aV, which was baking in the oven the last time I wrote. The recipe went very well and it smelled great. The triangles were adorable. However, I made two mistakes. First, I used yellow pepper instead of red. The flavor I am sure was the same, but the color - too much yellow!! I was gagging with yellow, and I usually love the color. The red pepper the recipe called for would have been a nice contrast. I pressed the tofu good and long (see my previous past on how to do this with ease!) However, I didn't have time to marinate it as long as I wanted, so I don't think that the flavors soaked up enough. But no, that wasn't my second mistake. My second error was that.... I disliked it from the first bite! I really, really wanted to like it. I wanted to love it. I love tofu. I love mango. I love Isa's books and her writing makes me cackle out loud! But I just couldn't take the sweetness of this meal! I was so disappointed, because I'd wanted to make this for soooo long. And, it made so much (see next photo!).

However, because it made so much, and my husband really hates fruity main meals, I knew I had to eat leftovers this week. So, the next night I grudgingly sat down with some mixed greens, some corn and bean salad and the mango-ginger tofu.... cold. And.... IT WAS AWESOME!! It was 100 times better cold than hot. I couldn't believe it. The sweetness was calmed down greatly by being chilled and it was so delicious. So, I guess the story ends like this - "Give every meal a second chance!" Read on to see what else I cooked up this week....






Here is a meal that also needs a second chance. Mussaka (I served it on a bed of bulgur, with fresh mint on top. Actually, this is my husband's plate. I eat low-carb, so I had mussaka with a little buglur on top!). It's another one that I've been dying to make, after Fat Free Vegan's post, my recent purchase of pomegranate molasses, and my many recent trips to the farmers' market. I was a little hesitant to use all the onion, garlic and spices she called for, as I have acid reflux, so I cut them down a bit. Well, I think that was a mistake. The textures and smell were wonderful, but the dish didn't have much bite at all. So, I will have to give this dish a second chance as well - and make it the correct way!

Last, we have a Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salad, adapted from a Cooking Light recipe. The fresh corn (can we say farmers' market?) was a thousand times better than canned corn, and was roasted in the oven with a little olive oil. The green onions, tomato and red pepper were also from the market. The black beans weren't called for, but I added them to make the dish more substantial. The dressing is incredibly easy and simple. The dijon mustard blends deliciously with the white balsamic vinegar (the latter of which doesn't stain the dish brown, like the regular balsamic would). This light, tasty summer treat was also enjoyed by my veggie group. Here's to summer and second chances!!

Confessions of a Cooking Addict

As we speak, Isa's Mango-Ginger Tofu is baking in the oven, and I'm typing quickly to get this done before it is! I thought that after all the food I made last week, I would be burned out, but then I just spent three hours in the kitchen this afternoon! I am truly a cooking addict, and my feet are killing me but I still love it!

In the first picture, we have leftover BBQ Pomegranate Tofu, also from Isa's book (Vegan with a Vengeance), after an inspirational post on pomegranate molasses by Susan at Fat Free Vegan. I had had the molasses for a while, but hadn't gotten around to using it. It is atop some fresh, raw corn kernels and a mix of salad things I had laying around. I got a new book recently, on raw food, and I realized that I already eat so many things raw! How many of you try raw foods and what things do you try? One of my absolute favorites is raw corn straight from the cob :)

Here is a far shot of the BBQ tofu over the salad. The late summer sun is highlighting it so gracefully. Notice the pretty teacher's apple bowl? A subtle reminder that school will be back in session soon. I have always looked forward to the new school year, despite it meaning the end of my long summer break, because I am usually ready for the routine again! Although I worked my butt off this summer with my graduate school work, I am still crazy enough to be excited again about September. I think that with all the weight off of my shoulders, I feel free again and ready to be inspired by my little charges (I teach Kindergarten!). Also, I know that I have the weekends free now, so I can actually recharge instead of study! It is an indescribable feeling, except to say that once you lose something (like free weekends), you appreciate it even more when you get it back. Sort of like when you get really sick, being healthy again feels like being reborn!

Here is the fresh BBQ Pomegranate Tofu with the extra sauce over some broccoli rabe. The sauce was very sweet - could have used some more spice - but still very good! I am on a tofu kick, I think. I have neglected it for so long!






Here is the Broiled Eggplant with Miso Sauce from Fat Free Vegan's sort of recent blog. I printed it out a while ago and just had to wait for the perfect Farmer's Market trip to get the ingredients!







Here are the Fresh Corn Fritters from Isa's V w/aV book as well, alongside Dilly Beans from a Moosewood cookbook I checked out of the library. The beans were very spicy but somehow I didn't enjoy them because I couldn't taste the freshness of the beans! That was a real shame, too, because the beans were organic from the Farmer's Market (where else?). The fritters, meanwhile, I renamed, "Corn Floppies." Either the recipe sucks, or I suck, which the latter is probably true. My corn fritters burned quickly on the outside, soaked up way too much oil, and were still complete mush on the inside. I think that lowering the heat, using less oil, and adding some cornmeal or more flour to the mixture would have helped. It was too bad they flopped, because the batter with the fresh corn tasted totally amazing! I could have eaten the batter raw ;)

And here are the results of my latest trip to the local farmer's market. Isn't everything just beautiful? Can you imagine laying out slabs of bloody meat or dead-eyed fish the same way?






My mother wanted to know about the different kinds of eggplant, so here is a closeup shot of baby globes (striped, or variegated), and the long, pale purple Japanese variety. Just gorgeous.








Let's end this post on a good note, and quickly, because my Mango-Ginger Tofu is almost done. Here are Isa's Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Blondies, whipped up this afternoon (after some Banana Blueberry Muffins for a new mom!). The blondies will go to my vegetarian group meeting tomorrow. They smelled incredible in the kitchen! Hark - it is the oven timer! Off I go to cook some more!!

Vacation Vittles

After two months of studying and practicum work, I was ready for a vaca! We took our usual weeklong tour to visit my big sis and both sets of parents. Thus, the long absence from posts on this blog! That doesn't mean, however, that I wasn't eating up a storm! My thoughtful, sweet mother-in-law (no, I'm not sucking up!) copied several recipes from La Dolce Vegan the last time I was visiting her, and secretly prepared three vegan recipes for me! The first picture here is actually Isa's Tempeh Reuben, which I've made before, and which we had planned on making for her! We brought the ingredients and showed her how to make them. It was her first experience ever with tempeh!
Here she is, cooking those bad boys up for us. She has lots of experience with the real reubens!
















Here is the homemade apple crisp, also from La Dolce Vegan. It had raisins in it! I just love raisins.... But very different for an apple crisp! You can tell it was good because of how little is left after one day! She also made spinach tofu lasagna and chili from the same cookbook. Both vegan and both out of this world! Now, she says she wants a vegan cookbook to learn more. It was also her first time working with tofu, and she told us funny stories about working with it! I just can't believe that her meaty, hunting state even
had tofu. Yay vegans!



Meanwhile, in my own home state, vegan and vegetarian food abounds. My mother, gone vegetarian over a year ago, thanks to Erik Marcus's book, was ready to prepare Kung Pao Seitan from Robin Robertson's book, The Vegan Planet. Unfortunately, my father has acid reflux disease and can't stand any spice, so the kung pao was.... well, not spicy at all. But at least the homemade seitan (I showed her how, you can see my previous post) was very juicy and tender! My father kept reaching back to snatch pieces from the pot. The sesame asparagus from Vegan with a Vengeance, and the kale with raisins and pine nuts (from a thousand similar recipes) were both decent, though I think I'm burning them out (those two were my idea for side dishes). We got all the ingredients at my favorite store in the world, Whole Foods Market! Every time I visit, we make a special trip there for me to stock up on specialty items, but it is getting less and less exotic for me as my local Ukrop's has more of the items I need! It's pretty funny that my idea of a vacation excursion is a grocery store, but what do you expect from a vegan foodie?

But the first stop of our trip was really my sister's, in Rhode Island. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera on our first meal trip, to Julian's in Providence. Freakin' incredible food, whether or not you eat meat! We had vegan gingerbread pancakes that just melted in my mouth! And, real maple syrup ;) The only kind, of course.

That night, we enjoyed apple martinis (at her home) which I am certain were vegan. We continued on to the Garden Grille in Providence, a bounty of vegan and vegetarian foods that will make anyone drool! I had the sweet potato quesadillas, but unfortunately the vegan cheese just ruined the meal for me. The cheese was greasy and plastic-tasting. Such a shame, since I only get here once every couple of years if I'm lucky!

Speaking of lucky, I did take home a slice of their delicious vegan carrot cake with COCONUT FROSTING... a little on the dry side so it probably wasn't that fresh, but great flavor overall and made up for the quesadillas!







Meanwhile, her non-vegan cats were all saying, "feed us!!"










Here is the Block Island light house that we visited the next day (vegan salad wrap was enjoyed thoroughly and unexpectedly at a take away food stop on the island! Hubby had clam chowder and some fried fish parts - yuck!).







After visiting my mother's and drooling over her Everyday Vegan cookbook that I had been putting off buying, I snatched up my own copy and spent the drive home deciding on my next cooking ventures.

When I returned, I was ready to cook some meals of my own (we also ate out a fair bit). First, I made her pesto sauce, and froze most of it in ice cube trays (I put two tablespoons in each cube spot). This is a great way to save extra pesto without wasting it! The pesto has tofu and pine nuts in it, so it's very heart healthy and protein filled! I kept licking the bowl :)

The pesto sauce was used in the filling for the Thick 'n' Juicy Pesto Portabellas shown here. Unfortunately, the mushrooms at our local grocery store were a little old, so the mushrooms weren't very thick and juicy. But that filling .... oh my! Fresh spinach, marinated artichokes, and that pesto make for a hearty, flavorful stuffing. The breadcrumbs were a little too much, and I had to spritz the tops with olive oil to make them brown. Next time, I'll use less breadcrumbs and mix them with some olive oil for less mess. As you can see, I also used a frozen pesto cube to rub on my grilled corn! On the side, I used the leftover fresh spinach and some grape tomatoes with my own balsamic vinaigrette to round out the meal.
After all that cooking, I was ready to bake! Using a humongous zucchini from my mother-in-law, I made apple zucchini muffins from a Moosewood cookbook (shown here), zucchini bread from La Dolce Vegan (not shown) and ....









Cherry-Almond Muffins from Vegan with a Vengeance (these didn't have any zucchini in them, but I wanted to use some fresh cherries up!). Phew! I think that this is the longest post ever in the history of blogging... or at least in my blog! I hope that this makes up for the lack of blogging these past weeks! Inspired by veggiegirl, I will be stocking my pantry with muffins and things for the upcoming school year. Question of the week: what's your favorite kind of muffin?


Slightly blurry close up of the inside of the cherry-almond muffins. Delish!

Cat Days of Summer

People like to call them the, "dog days" of summer, but if you've ever seen a hot cat, you know the cliche line can be easily changed! Here is my "little" Hobbes, flaked out on our "old but new to us" recliner (gotta' love FreeCycle!). We've had the windows open and air conditioning off as we stain our new windows, and poor Hobbes, with all his fat and long fur can't take the heat - literally! He usually races around, tearing across the floors, jumping at the walls and generally pissing off our other cat, Bear. But with the summer heat invading his usually cool house, it's all he can do to walk to his food dish! I promise, it's really not that hot, especially with the fans going in all the rooms - it's just that he's not used to it! We provide lots of cool water and run the air conditioning when we're done working.
Meanwhile, it's never too hot for me to bake! I celebrated my last day at my elementary school practicum (for those of you unaware, I am finishing up my Masters in Library Science), by baking these Chocolate Mint cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I had baked them before for my hubby's birthday, but when I overheard the librarian I was working with rave about the combination of mint and chocolate, I just couldn't resist making them again! This time, I didn't "dollop" or "plop" the chocolate ganache on top as recommended in the cookbook, but drizzled it. I also used a mint leaf from my herb garden instead of an M&M. I think that the result is more professional and prettier than the first round! What do you think? If you do make these, be sure to halve the mint extract it calls for, or else it tastes more like toothpaste than a mint patty!
And last, I have here a great summer salad, from (you guessed it) The Candle Cafe Cookbook. It was the Spicy Soba Salad with Creamy Wasabi Dressing. As usual, I really wanted to rave about the recipe, but have some misgivings. First of all, the tofu needed to be cut into 8 pieces, not four, for the marinade to fully absorb. Second, the baking time for the tofu was half as much (or even a quarter) as was really needed to crisp up the tofu pieces. Finally, the dressing was not just, "creamy," but downright thick. I had to add more soy sauce and rice vinegar to make it even spreadable. It also wasn't spicy enough for me. Yet overall the flavors were decent, the mix of textures (especially the arame seaweed!) fun, and the cool salad a nice change from hot evening meals. And it made enough leftovers that I don't have to cook again for several days. Rating: ** stars (out of four). So, off I go to stain some more windows and care for my beautiful, almost healed tattoo :) Question of the week: What is your favorite summer salad?

Summer Celebration

Yeah, I know this has nothing to do with protein, but it has a lot to do with my summer celebration! Turning another decade older, finishing comps exams and perhaps starting a family are all excuse enough to celebrate with body art. This is my second tattoo, and it does actually have a lot to do with veganism. I see being vegan as being an integral part of the earth. The earth's inhabitants (floral or fauna) share the planet in a balance (thus the green/blue ying-yang). As vegans, we participate by trying not to harm that balance and by respecting all life. In addition, I am a born-environmentalist (before it was trendy!) and am a member of just about every group out there, from WWF to the Sierra Club (and active, not just card-carrying!). All of this is reflected in my newest body art (on my thigh). I've been wanting this design for quite a while, although my first tattoo was a cat (something else I was born loving!).

Meanwhile, I spent the week in a total haze, still not quite sure that I was finished studying and finding it difficult to relax! Luckily, this weekend's gorgeous weather made it a little bit easier for me. Unlike Dreena's rainy, cool summer, we have been in a sort of a drought. My husband hasn't cut the grass in about a month and we can barely keep my herbs and tomato plants alive. However, this weekend the temperature has dropped and we are loving every minute of it, despite the fact that there's still no rain. It gave me ample opportunity to make my weekly trip to the Farmer's Market in Fredericksburg, where I picked up a huge sack load of fresh fruits and veggies for our week's meals!
This is just one of the beautiful things I got that day. Organic, multi-variety okra. Aren't the colors amazing? And look at the different shapes and sizes! I know, most people are already saying, "eww," at the thought of this mucus producing veggie, but the only way to enjoy okra is to grill it! Simply combine some salt, pepper, ground red pepper, a tad bit of sugar, and some olive oil. Brush this on the skewered okra, along with some cherry tomatoes and onion wedges, and grill for a few minutes on each side! Divine! I promise you, this is nothing like okra in a stew or anything. They are crispy and flavor-full - I ate about half of what you see here!
Here is the cooked okra, alongside our main meal of grilled veggies. The farmer's market supplied us with cherry tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, and an enormous and very sweet red onion. These were just grilled with olive oil, salt and pepper. But we used a red wine and balsamic vinegar reduction sauce to marinate them in (after chopping into bite sized pieces), along with some basil from our back porch pot. The white stuff is Vegan Gourmet mozzarella (sorry, but nothing like the real thing!). My hubby had the veggies in a sandwich with real mozzarella and liked it well enough. The flavors are supposed to get better after a day or so. I'd say, a two and half star rating here, for the veggies (out of four). Maybe three? I always feel bad giving food a low rating :)

This last photo is a shot of Quinoa Curry from a Vegetarian Times magazine (Feb 07 issue). I didn't realize that I had made it before, and was just looking for a way to use up some leftover mango chutney (mmmm!!). This is a great dish to use quinoa - an excellent source of protein (and a complete protein at that!). Quinoa also provides as much calcium as a cup of milk! Recipe rating about three stars (despite running out of curry and thus it not being spicy enough). Well, off to do a little bit more coursework and house cleaning. I am trying very hard not to sit down and finish my new Harry Potter book in one sitting!

I made it!!

To celebrate my return to the blogging world (well, I wasn't gone that long!), I made the much anticipated vegan krispie treats from Dreena Burton's upcoming cookbook, "Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan!" I have already pre-ordered it, but if I hadn't, I'd be rushing online to Amazon to do so, just based on this recipe!!

I mentioned to Dreena a while back that I saw a recipe in a Cooking Light magazine with cranberries and pumpkin seeds, and wondered how to veganize rice krispie treats. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the recipe and WOW~ I haven't had them in years, but these kick all the treats I have ever had, right in the ass (sorry for the language, but they do!). They are so grown-up tasting and yet so chewy and fun! The taste is incredible (I opted for some of her special add-ins). They are not burned, by the way - my chocolate chips melted - but it didn't spoil the taste or look one bit! I think they actually look quite elegant. I usually give most of my baked goods away, but this time I hoarded most of them in my fridge. The photo doesn't really do them justice. Just believe me and buy the book!!

I was gone from this blog to study for my comps exam, for my Masters in Library Science (my life long dream is to be a librarian - yay - I'm almost there!). I won't find out the results until August 27th, though - boo. It still feels like I'm in a dream, and I will wake up and have to continue studying. In fact, last night as I lay trying to go to sleep (I was a little buzzed from the wine!), I started thinking, "privacy... The Patriot Act....Lester Asheim....RSS feeds....Dewey Decimal..." I just couldn't stop! Two days of essays, nine hours of driving (DC traffic is the WORST!), and even two lost pounds due to stress (plus some MAJOR heartburn - oh wow), plus months of studying.... all worth the incredible feeling that I can now read for pleasure, spend hours at the gym or running, do not have to ignore my cats' meows to play, can eat dinner with my husband, and even do some house keeping (rats!). Best of all, I don't have to feel guilty about taking time to cook or bake!

We celebrated last night by going out to eat at probably the only vegetarian and vegan restaurant (but they also have hamburgers - yuck!) within a 50 mile radius. Sammy T's in Fredericksburg, Virginia is definitely worth the trip, if you're in the neighborhood. The prices are great, the wine and beer selection awesome (even vegan Yellow Tail!), including some locally made ones, and the vegan food - awesome! I almost always get the Spinach Fold-over, which consists of their delicious hummus, tomatoes, red onions and spinach, all cooked to melty perfection in a tortilla (folded in half, of course!). My hubby usually tries something new - this time he opted for the tempeh sandwich that he's gotten before. I don't know why he did, because he always complains that it's way too salty (and it is)! But this time, it inspired him to buy some tempeh at the store today and he's going to make his own marinade for it this week (which is a HUGE step for him - he never makes up recipes!). So, thanks to Sammy T's, I ended three years of study with smiles and a full (if still heart-burny!) tummy.

Good-bye For Now!

I say, "goodbye for now," because I have my comps exam for my Masters, coming up very shortly, and I need to devote all waking hours (ok, not including eating and working out!) to studying. So, I bid adieu until July 15th! It will be really hard not to get on here, because I do plan on cooking some simple but yummy new recipes even this weekend! Wish me luck! Here are my latest food pics - and more from the farmer's market!

This photo is of Grilled Veggie Pizza, from The Vegetarian Grill. My hubby made it for us one night and it was really good! I am still teaching him how to 'lightly' toss the veggies in olive oil - actually bought an oil mister just for that! It's pretty simple to make - just grill the veggies, add sauce and grill the pizza. He said that he grilled the pizza top first, then flipped it over and added the toppings and grilled it again. This makes for a delicious crust! The crust is the Rustic Crust, recommended by someone... much better on the grill than on a sheet in the oven.

There were tons of leftover veggies, so I warmed them in the toaster over the next night and put them over a light salad with some balsamic vinaigrette (there was plenty of oil already on them, remember?) ;)







Next up, from the Candle Cafe Cookbook, is the Mixed Crunchy Sprout Salad with Vanilla-Tahini Dressing. It was super easy to make, but the dressing was sub-par. I halved it, as usual, and still had enough for weeks! I added some maple syrup because I didn't like the taste much, but it still didn't do much for me. Kind of bland and too strong on the tahini! Sesame seeds and raisins were a nice addition, too.



Here is my newest toy, which helped me make that sub-par dressing (and also lots of other great dressings and marinades!) It is my new hand/immersion blender! I got the "top of the line," because I knew I would use it a lot - and I was right! It's also my favorite color :) Sometimes, a girl just has to treat herself, right?












When life gives you bananas.....
Make banana smoothies! This one, though the photo is blah, was really quite delicious! I don't usually use a recipe, but this time I did and was pleased. From The New Vegetarian Basics cookbook. It had a little oatmeal and nutritional yeast in it- neat, but not overpowering flavors!













Of course, you can only drink so many smoothies (and the new hand blender can't do ice!). So, on to make banana nut muffins from the same cookbook. These were a bit dense and dark, from the molasses, but differently good! Wished I had had the dates they called for, though. I love dried fruit! I sprinkled some cinnamon-sugar on top.

Well, the last photos are from the farmer's market and actually, most of the veggies in the above recipes were from above there, too! What will I do in the winter?? I thought the figs would be awesome - never seen fresh figs there before, but they were sadly over-ripe! I thought that this would do for my Fourth of July post - very blue! The red will be from my face as I run the 5 -miler that morning! Again, I will bid adieu until the 15th, so happy eating!