End of a Great Month!

Well, the woman who won the cupcake challenge certainly made me cook my socks off this weekend! To end World Vegetarian Month, I had a drawing for my colleagues to win a dozen free cupcakes of their choosing. Cappuccino Cupcakes from Isa's VCTOTW, was the poison the winner selected.
It was pure pleasure to be making these, and I was glad she asked me to make these, because I had never made them and I probably wouldn't have chosen to make them any time soon. This is because there were four steps. First, you make the mousse filling, which had two steps itself. I had to use agar flakes, but although Isa recommended cooking them longer than the powder, I found that the mixture started cooking down to nothing and I had to stop earlier than suggested with this step. Anyhow, the filling was incredibly creamy and puddinglike, but I did find some little lumps in it, that were undoubtedly the agar flakes that hadn't dissolved properly. Hope no one else noticed it! :)

While that chilled for about an hour, I baked the cupcakes (which came out perfectly!), and then while those cooled, made the frosting. Then I poked careful holes to fill the cupcakes with my handy-dandy icing/frosting gadget from Pampered Chef (like a big syringe with different tips). Then I washed this and filled it again with the frosting. Then I made the chocolate ganache and quickly dusted them all with cocoa powder. Three hours later, and these are the beautiful results. The kind recipient sent an email to everyone, saying they were the best cupcakes (vegan or otherwise) she'd ever had, and her husband added, "phenomenal." Because one of her daughters has a nut allergy, she is going to buy the cookbook herself. Yay! Others who enjoyed them (she couldn't eat all 12 herself!) commented that if vegans ate only cupcakes (like these), they would be vegan right now.

Unfortunately, despite my weekly efforts to inform and entice my fellow teachers, I found that some people still hadn't been reached. While a couple people said that they might become vegetarian after all this great food and info, one said to my face during a discussion about food for an upcoming party, "Well, what'll you eat? Tofu?" I was happy to have my wits about me enough to respond, "Where have you been all month??!!" Then I went home to eat an awesome three-bean chili (from Vegetarian Times, Oct. 2007) and kale with coconut-spice sauce, while I watched the Patriots kick some Redskin ass.

Endless Protein Sources

Once again, I can only shake my head and chuckle when someone asks me what I do for protein. I think about what my own husband eats on a daily basis, even though he is cutting out more meat now, and only see how boring a meat-based diet can be! Veganism, on the other hand, has endless options...

For a good example, this is a Spicy Red Lentil Dal, from a recent Vegetarian Times magazine issue. I had the craving for it after the Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival, where we tasted it from the Ethiopian food vendors. This was just as good, if not better! It was soooo simple to make, so that was an added bonus. Perfectly spicy! Red lentils are an excellent source of protein and fiber. They cook up more quickly than other beans and lentils, which was great for a weeknight meal this week! So creamy and filling. I ate it with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro, as well as brown rice and peas. Quick question for rice cooker connoisseurs: I love my rice cooker but brown rice often comes out underdone. Should I add more liquid? Anyhoo- Rating for the dal: 4 stars (out of 4)! Maybe I'll make some naan or injera next time to eat with it.

For our wedding anniversary, we usually stay at a bed and breakfast (last year, it was the awesome White Pig). This year, as we tried to save some cash, we took a trip back to the Shenandoah National Park, which we visited back in September. We were hoping for a heartbreaking color explosion, but thanks to the drought this summer (and into the fall!), the colors were not as spectacular as they should have been. We did enjoy a hike, though, as well as incredibly yummy faux chicken salad sandwiches with fruit, spiced nuts and chips! The chicken sandwiches were made with tempeh, which was poached and chopped. The texture and flavor was very convincing, at least I thought so. I can't believe it's been almost a decade since I tasted chicken! Weird. At any rate, the recipe is in La Dolce Vegan. This recipe is a must make for anyone who likes sandwiches!
This was a perfect time and place to remember my grandfather, who passed away one year ago. We were at the White Pig when we heard he was doing poorly.











Here is a shot of the White Pig, where we stayed last year. How I wish I were there again!



























After that dose of fall, and a hard week at work, I was ready for some easy cooking this weekend. Here is an incredibly easy and deliciously "fall" soup! I got the recipe from a friend at the last Veg Group meeting. Here it is! Heat in a saucepan the following: 1 can plain pumpkin (15 ounces, roughly - when will we join the rest of the world in our units of measure??), 1 can light coconut milk (I used organic, too), 1 can cannelini beans (I mashed these a bit in the pot), and 2 cups of veggie broth (or one can- I used bouillon cubes). So, heat these four cans (ok, empty the cans out and just head the contents!) in the saucepan until hot. Add some pepper and fresh sage (those light green things floating in the middle of the cup are whole sage leaves, but I shredded the ones I added). What could be more simple or more fall? Delish.















For the last picture of this post, I'm leaving you with some Vegan Snickerdoodles, also from Veg Times. I am not usually blown away by this magazine, but this was the second kick-ass recipe from them in one week! These smelled heavenly while baking, were pretty easy to make, and best of all, tasted just like I remembered :)
Poor hubby thought I made them for him, but I am bringing them into work for the fourth week of World Vegetarian Month. I
am also doing a "free cupcake giveaway drawing" from Isa's awesome cupcake book. Winner gets a dozen of their choice! I wonder what I'll be making?....

Sweets to the Sweet!

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm sick of sweets! I made so many sweet things this week, I was almost nauseous. Actually, I was really getting over my stomach bug (not the flu as I had thought!), and I had to eat pretty bland and boring things. But I could still bake up a storm for my friends, right?

I began with Banana-Coconut Bars from Fat Free Vegan's blog. They were a delight to make and to eat! I made these for my friends at work for World Vegetarian Month. They got rave reviews, but I think that they could have been less flat. I wonder if anyone else has tried this recipe in a smaller pan for 'higher' results? At any rate, they were sweet, chewy, and yum! Rating: 3 stars

I also made these Maui Muffins with Orange Glaze, from The Candle Cafe Cookbook. They were a repeat from the summer, and just as good as I remembered! The only difficulty with these is telling when they're done. Because of the moist pineapple in the batter, a testing toothpick stuck into a muffin may still come out wet! However, they are overall easy to make and scrumptious! Great for a brunch, and pretty looking, too. Rating: 4 stars. Overall rating from my co-workers? Well, I think the empty containers at the end of the day spoke for themselves.
Later in the week, I had to make goodies for our monthly Sierra Club meeting. I made two things I had made in the past, so there would be no bad surprises. First, Isa's Raspberry-Chocolate Blondies (top) and then (bottom) Vegetarian Times' Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bread. Both were devoured. I was disappointed in the blondies, however, because once again I couldn't tell when they were done, due to the jam in middle. They looked completely done on the top, but when I cut into them later, they were underdone in the middle! I couldn't believe it, but I salvaged the edges, tried to re-cook the middle squares, and still they were scarfed down! I was happy that no one realized that they weren't quite perfect. As Isa says herself, "never apologize for your food." Rating for both (on a good day): 4 stars! Soooo addictive.


After that sugar rush, I was in the mood for something a little healthier (actually, with 2 cups of sugar in the blondies, something a LOT healthier). So, here are this week's treats for my co-workers, in celebration of World Vegetarian Month. The first shot is of Carob-Almond Truffles, from Veg News. The lighter ones (here I go apologizing again!) are lacking the proper coating, as I ran out and had to use just carob powder. However, they are pure goodness, with dried fruit and nuts only. I bought a raw food book over the summer, and this inspires me to crack it open again. What decadence with no refined sugar! I love carob ....no fat, no cholesterol, and no caffeine! I'll have to let you know how they are received at work, but I give them- Rating: 3 1/2 stars.


Next, we have Spiced Nuts from La Dolce Vegan, one of Sarah Kramer's books. They were wicked easy to make, and only had two tablespoons of olive oil in the whole 3 cups of nuts. There was an abundance of spice, from cayenne to nutmeg, but it wasn't overpowering at all. In fact, I would probably add more spice next time! Again, I don't know how they will be judged at work, but I give them - Rating: 2 1/2 stars (they aren't very original, but they are still good!).





Finally, we have something all for me. The simplest of suppers. Hubby wouldn't share this with me because he has a thing against cooked fruit in his meals, but then he tasted it and thought it wasn't too bad! It wasn't bad.... it was amazing. This is African Pineapple Peanut Stew from a Moosewood cookbook, which I copied recipes out of over the summer (not my book). This was so easy to make and the spices were spot on! In a West African tone, it was spicy from the Tabasco sauce, sweet from the crushed pineapple, and salty from the crunchy peanut butter! Actually, those are pretty much the ingredients, aside from that beautiful fresh kale, and some onion, garlic, and fresh chopped green onions and raw peanuts. It reminded me of fried rice from a Chinese restaurant, but so much better. In fact, it recommends serving this over couscous, millet, or rice, but I don't do much with carbs so I opted out. I can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow night!! Rating: 4 stars, easily. My other meals for the week were simply canned baked beans (vegetarian, of course) with pieces of veggie dogs mixed in, and then some baked beans re-heated with fresh spinach (till it wilted) and canned pineapple. Not bad for no recipe! Still, not worthy of a photo :)

Around the World in Seven Days

I thought that this post's title would be a good choice to tie in all the weird pictures I have to share this week. I'm only posting them now, instead of my usual Sunday, because I am just getting over the flu! Yuck. I have only eaten bananas, toast with vegan margarine (I like Soy Garden), a few handfuls of cereal (not good, since it had sugar on it), and Ginger Ale (never thought till now why it's good for you when you're sick - the ginger is good for nausea!).
Anyhoo, talking about being sick isn't a good way to being a food post :P

The first picture here is Dreena's Gingered Pear Crisp, from Vive le Vegan. I can't believe it took me over a year to get around to making this! It is incredibly easy and soooo yummy. Not too sweet, but just right. Perfect for the fall. My only change next time would be more topping, and make it crispier. I made this for my school's monthly staff breakfast, and it was gone pretty quickly! I also made an apple crisp of Isa's, but I had the same complaint - not enough topping! I tried to make it crispier with vegan margarine (the apple, not the pear one), but it only helped slightly. You see, growing up Yankees, my family had the BEST apple crisp around, and still does (living almost next door to Johnny Appleseed's birthplace didn't hurt, either!). Unfortunately, the recipe calls for a TON of butter and sugar in the base and especially the topping. I will be working on a vegan apple crisp recipe for Thanksgiving! Oh - it's coming so soon!
Then, we decided that we needed something a little different, and went to get some Thai flavors from coconut milk and peanuts in this dish, Tempeh with Coconut-Peanut Sauce from Veg News. Yum, yum, yum! Very creamy sauce and no big coconut flavor, for those that worry about coconut milk in recipes. It just makes them creamy and delish! Sorry for this somewhat closeup photo, but if you see the next one (which I took with no flash, as suggested by another blogger), it sucked even more.

I steamed some broccoli as a side dish and the sauce was perfect on top! I can't eat steamed veggies plain. Raw, yes, but not steamed...











Last, we have Chole that my husband (gotta' think of a screen name for him - suggestions??) actually whipped up, this time from India. It was so damned good I had to get a photo. The picture isn't that great because I didn't have time to plate it before he scarfed it down, but trust me it was good! He used an authentic recipe from a very old site I was given by a friend back in college (the friend was Indian). Here is the link for you - happy eating - wherever you want to go!

Happy World Vegetarian Month!

I think this is the first time I've blogged about breakfast! I usually eat homemade granola or Grape Nuts cereal with fresh or dried fruit, and during the winter I love oatmeal, but this summer I couldn't get enough muesli! The infatuation started at my sister's when we visited her in August. I ate her muesli (recipe from La Dolce Vegan! but you really don't need directions) and was hooked.

Muesli is just raw oats (whole, not quick), nuts and seeds (I use hemp seeds, raw sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, and raw, hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)), and dried fruit (I threw in a combo of blueberries, cherries, cranberries, raisins, pineapple, and papaya!). I also add about a quarter cup of cinnamon (yes, you read that right!) because this spice is known for its many health benefits. It adds such flavor with no fat or sugar! Not only is this cereal simple to whip up even on a busy night, I only put a drizzle of agave nectar (better than honey!) on top and then soak the cereal in some almond milk (fewer calories and sugars than soy). I look forward to this breakfast every morning! If you're always in a morning rush, it's quick to eat, too ;)

Now on to the title of my post, "World Vegetarian Month!" I love October for many reasons, and World Vegetarian Month is one of the biggest ones! I love sharing delicious vegan food with family and friends throughout the year, but this brings an incentive to do more!
Hubby and I went to the Charlottesville, VA 11th Annual Vegetarian Festival. It was my first of this kind of celebration, and I was super excited to go. The weather was perfect - 76 degrees with a cool breeze. When we got there, it had barely started but was already very crowded. We decided to get our food first, since we had gotten up early for the drive. He chose to try some Ethiopian food he hadn't had before: red lentil curry, curried vegetables and collard greens. When he wondered where his fork was, I showed him how to tear pieces of the injera bread (so spongy and fun to eat!) and use that to scoop up the food. Thanks to the ethnic diversity of our county, I have a Thanksgiving feast in my classroom every year, with "cultural diversity" as the theme. Thus, I have exposure to all kinds of foods I might never get to make at home, including pupusas, injera, speitzel, and pot stickers (yes, some of these I had before I was vegan!). Anyhoo, we loved these foods. The only sad part? Well, do you see the styrofoam?! I was heartbroken that all this waste (including plastic cups and silverware) were included in this earth-loving festival.
Here was my meal: a free sample of rice and beans from Whole Foods and a delicious smoothie from a brand new (organic!) food and juice bar in Charlottesville, called Sublime. My smoothie was called the Soul Sister, and included mango, banana, peach and other yummy fresh fruits.










After that, we perused the tabling and non-food vendors. I have to say, I was a little let-down with the large number of "doom and gloom" tables. Hubby in particular was disappointed. He had looked forward to maybe buying a new cookbook or sampling some snack foods. This was the only really "happy food" display we saw. Cute idea for a food pyramid, though, huh? Although I am vegan because of the animal welfare and environmental side of vegetarianism (the SPCA, anti-Factory Farm, Global Warming, etc.were well represented), I think that luring people to the veggie side might be easier with more happy smiles and good food. There were just too many depressing leaflets out there for me that day.


Yet I still enjoyed myself and wished we could've spent more time there. Here is one of the adorable puppies for adoption through the SPCA. Isn't it the cutest ball of fluff? It was like Dog Day at the park that afternoon - everyone had brought their dogs out to visit and play. I hope that some people made the connection between their dogs and the animals that weren't on their plate. :)










Here are two kittens that were up for adoption. Look at that one in the little hammock! I wanted to take them all home, cat lover that I am :)















I also decided that I would some day have a pet pig. Here is a pot-bellied pig (can't recall her name!) that they were raising medical funds for. Their poster stated that pigs are the fourth smartest animal on the planet! (Humans are supposedly first - ha, ha, then chimps, then whales/dolphins, then pigs. They're smarter than your dog!).


Here is one of the presenters (I think it was United Poultry Concerns) that I was glad to meet, but a little depressed afterwards. I can't recall this woman's name (JoAnn?) but her group supports the freedom of and non-cruelty towards poultry. She had a factory farm sized hen cage full of amazingly real paper-mache chickens! It showed viewers just how cramped and miserable the chicken's lifestyle is. She also had a great flier pointing out the misconception that free range chickens leave happy, carefree lives.
We left the festival with some vegan treats, some new fliers, and a new appreciation for the vast number of groups out there, working for the ideals of vegetarianism. However, we were also ready to go enjoy the earth the way it was meant to be - on foot!

We drove up to Skyline Drive and the Shenandoah National Park. We were pleasantly surprised to find that it was National Public Lands Day, and we got in for free! It was the perfect day for a hike, with temperatures in the mountains at only 66 degrees (that's Fahrenheit to you foreigners!). Here is part of the AT (Appalachian Trail) that we walked. But the rest of the time, we just drove along the road and stopped at different overlooks for the view and some quiet time together.



Look at the way that the mountains resemble folds in beautiful, green fabric on the land.
















That evening, we finally watched, "Peaceable Kingdom," together. I cried at several scenes, but there were enough uplifting parts to make me able to view it again.


So ended our wonderful Saturday. Today is Sunday, which means football and some school work and some baking for World Vegetarian Day tomorrow! Who knows, maybe my co-workers will enjoy some vegan Twinkies from my new bake set (purchased through Bed, Bath and Beyond- I had to call and special order it - they don't sell it in the stores anymore!), or perhaps a sprout salad from my new seed sprouter (purchased at the Veg Festival)!

Happy Fall, Y'all

OK, that was a cheesy title for this post, but I'm so darned happy it's fall! Autumn or fall, whatever you call it, it's my favorite season. Not too cold, not too hot (well, down here, it's still pretty hot during the day, but at least at night it's cooler now!), all the changing leaf colors, the Halloween candy (thanks to a fellow vegan blogger for posting vegan candy corn - yay!).... and later, Thanksgiving (this year, a Tofurky, I hope!), which is my favorite holiday next to Earth Day!
To celebrate, I made a chili today, from Extraveganza. This is truly the best cookbook for seasonal celebrations. Every recipe takes special care to use fresh, wholesome ingredients, and the results are always stellar! I love this cookbook :) Anyhoo, here is Vegetable Chocolate Chili Mole! Don't get excited, you really can't taste the chocolate, but it does add a little dark color and richness to the dish. The spices were spot on, and it made a TON! I will actually have to freeze some, I think. At any rate, despite the eighty or so degree temperatures outside, I pretended it was a crisp fall day and made this chili. With carrots, three kinds of beans, celery, corn, tomatoes, three colors of bell peppers, onion, and garlic, it was hearty to say the least. Delish!! Four stars from hubby and me :)
What made this dish so easy, was my mis en place. I started doing this pre-measuring, pre-cutting and laying out of ingredients back when I was in grad school and taking step-by-step photos of recipes for a web site I was making. I still do this mis en place when I can, and today it really helped! I just chopped all my veggies, measured my spices, and the recipe was almost done! This is a super quick (after the prep work) meal.

Last week, I was going to eat pesto till it came out of my ears, since I had so much frozen from this summer. However, after this quick dish, I was "all good" for a while. This was simply whole wheat macaroni, tossed while hot with pesto cubes, some cannellini beans, and some fresh spinach. It was really healthy and hearty, but kind of dry. I'm not the biggest fan of this type of bean - they're too mushy for me. Give me garbanzo or kidney any day! Luckily, the latter are also healthier for me anyway.
While my chili mole was cooking (see above), I whipped up my second batch of Lemony-Herb Tofu, from Dreena's, Vive le Vegan! It looked prettier when I made it earlier in the week (this batch of tofu was a little spongy) but the taste was still great. Fresh and herby and lemony - just like its title! I'm mashing this up with a little soy mayo to make a sandwich spread this week. So easy and so delish! Try it today!
So, I'll leave you with this question of the week: What are you doing for World Vegetarian Day (October 1st) or for Vegetarian Month (October)? My plans are to put out fliers and such in my workplace lunchroom, and to bring in a dish to share once a week. Since lots of people I work with are on diets, I'm going to have to stay away from the cookies and cupcakes I usually ply. Any suggestions as to a good dish that can sit out for a few hours during our lunch periods, is relatively healthy, and appeal to the masses?

Luscious Leftovers

Sometimes, there is nothing like leftovers! Some foods get better with time, and some you just can't wait to eat again and again and again. I will never understand why some people don't like leftovers - I can eat the same meal all week, provided it's good enough! Here is one example.

I made these three dips to serve with veggies and homemade pita crisps (just Pam and sea salt on the crisps) for our Sierra Club Open House. The top one is a Pumpkin Hummus from Cooking Light (this link will give you the recipe - yay!). I garnished it with roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds). The darker dip on the left is my famous hummus (though it came out a tad too runny this time!) sprinkled with a little ground cumin, and the lower one is the Herb Farm Dip from the Candle Cafe Cookbook that I made before with not so happy results. As I always say, recipes deserve a second chance. This time, the Herb Farm Dip (which has incredible amounts of fresh herbs - it tastes like a garden!) came out just right, because I left out the WHOLE ONION the recipe called for. All three dips were a big hit at the Open House. Luckily, there was still enough left for my yummy leftover lunch today. Hopefully no one at the meeting double-dipped... I will make some more pumpkin hummus for my lunch this week - now you go and make some, too! It's light and low-cal and perfectly fall.

Here is a close up of the pumpkin hummus!

I also made Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies from Vegan with a Vengeance, but I don't have a photo to share because ... they were eaten all up!! Yes, every single one of the three dozen. Mmmmmm... I love fall.





Speaking of leftovers, this is what came out of the leftover veggies that went with the dip. Well, just some of the veggies - there were quite a lot! I used another Cooking Light recipe (Curried Vegetables) and the pre-cut veggies were just perfect for a fast, easy meal. The meal could have been spicier, but overall it was pretty good. I substituted some of the veggies (zucchini for potatoes, and red pepper for green beans), so it wasn't a true curry, but that's what leftovers are all about - making the most of what you've got! It reminds me of my mum's Bubble and Squeak. Look that one up ;)


Last, this is a photo of my Sour Apple Muffins. Yeah, that's the right name! I made them after our neighbor gave us her (organic, local!) apples (a huge bagful) and I intended on giving her some muffins as a thank you. Well.... I've been known to mess up a recipe or two in my time and instead of the 3/4 cup apple cider... I put in 3/4 cup apple cider VINEGAR! Yeah, I was that stupid. What the hell was I thinking. Well, as I mixed it together and it started foaming, I thought, "Well, that's funny! I wonder why Isa didn't mention this neat reaction with the baking soda in her recipe description." (The real recipe is Apple-Pie Crumb Cake Muffins from V w/aV). That's when the smell of the vinegar hit me and I realized my mistake. Well, I also learned from my mum not to let food go to waste, so I added about a 1/2 cup of maple syrup and some more flour and put those suckers in the oven. They smelled a little funny and tasted a little sour (thus my new recipe name), but heck - I can still eat them and I will. And every time I eat one, I will remind myself that I need to slow down!!
P.S. - I made them again today with the correct ingredients and they were delish! Another perfect fall recipe. My question for the week is: I have a ton of pesto in my freezer. What can I do with it?? My only idea so far is to mix it with hot pasta, some white beans, and veggies, or put it on a pizza.