Fall's A-Comin...

I can't believe that fall is nearly here. Two more days, well just barely, and we will officially be over with summer! In my garden, I'm ready for changes. I am already tired of my tomatoes, have frozen some pesto from the basil, and recently planted some kale and lettuce, both of which should do well in the cooler temps.

With the weather just slightly dipping into fall-like temperatures, I've been feeling more like hearty, cold weather meals. This Sweet and Sour Tempeh with Sweet Potatoes from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan certainly fit the bill! Although a bit on the too-sweet side, even for me, I loved this recipe for its ease. Just chop, toss with the sauce, and bake! With pineapple and peppers and onions and topped with cashews , this was a great one-bowl dish. I could've had this over rice, but with a recent viral infection, I wasn't feeling like I needed more carbs after lying on the couch for days....However, three and a half stars for this delicious dish ***1/2.
Tonight, despite some sore losses in the NFL, I got around to making this wicked easy Stewed Tofu and Potatoes in Miso Gravy from Vegan with a Vengeance. I picked this out for Mr. PLV, who is a big fan of potatoes and all things comfort-food, and then matched it with Krispy Kale from my newest cookbook, Vegan Yum Yum ("my" meaning I own it, not that I wrote it of course). The kale was still a bit bitter for me, so I drizzled it with my favorite tahini sauce, but the meal itself was certainly easy and comforting. Unfortunately, my miso was way out-dated, and I had to leave that key ingredient out! It would have been so much yummier with the miso. However, I noted that the recipe also called for the miso early on, and then had it simmering for half an hour, so some of the benefits of the miso would have been null anyway (if you boil miso, it kills the probiotics). Three stars for this one ***. Will definitely try again on a night when I'm feeling lazy and want some yummy miso.

Chow Mein Memory from The Complete Book of Raw Food may be the last raw food dish I make for a while, only because of the seasonal change and my mental shift towards chilis and such. This consisted of raw butternut squash noodles (which were wicked hard to put through my spiralizer, due to the awkward shape of the peeled bulb), along with shiitake mushrooms soaked in Bragg's, pine nuts, green onions and some other things I can't remember. Not much, really. This was a fantastic, light lunch, w/lots of nutrients! Three stars ***. I love mushrooms...
These Chipotle Seitan and Roasted Potato Tacos were from the latest Veg News magazine issue, but I can't wait for the cookbook from which they came! Terry Hope Romero, co-author of Veganomicon and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (VCTOTW) and the soon to be released Vegan Cookies Take Over Your Cookie Jar, will be coming out with her own book, Latin Vegan. I think it's not going to be published until April 2010, but based on this recipe, I'm already gettin' in line! These were pretty easy, super spicy, and wow! I loved the roasted potatoes, which were then cooked again briefly in the seitan marinade (that's what I love about vegan cooking - not only can you eat raw cookie dough, but you can reuse marinade!). Four stars - I loved, loved, loved this dish ****.
Meanwhile, our bookshelf project progresses. I'm not sure if I posted about them in the past, but basically my father came to visit and created these by hand (well, with a template). Here, you can see the frames, which I painted "White Hyacinth" last weekend, with the backs painted "Hubbard Squash" this weekend by Mr. PLV. Can't wait to get the shelves painted and put them in!



Of course, Hobbes had to come help out with the touch-ups...

Well, that's it in Vegan Land today! Leftovers the next couple of nights and then hopefully I'll get to my stuffed zucchini sometime this century if not this week...