Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts

12.22.2008

swedish meatballs




one package of gimme lean beef
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
1 T finely chopped parsley
1/2 t granulated onion
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t salt
good dose of cracked black pepper
pinch of thyme
pinch of nutmeg
2 T olive oil for frying

for the sauce:
2 T olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 T sherry
1 1/2 "beef-style" bouillion cubes combined with 3 cups of water
about 1/4 cup of soy milk mixed with 2 1/2 T of corn starch, plus additional soy milk if needed to thin sauce
squeeze of fresh lemon
lots of cracked black pepper
2 T fresh chopped parsley

half pound pasta of choice, cooked according to package instructions. i used whole wheat "egg" noodles.



combine first 10 ingredients and mix until well incorporated & then shape until 12 1-inch balls.

heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. fry meatballs in oil until evenly browned on all sides.

to make sauce:

on medium heat, saute onion in olive oil until soft. add garlic & cook some more. raise the heat & deglaze pan with sherry and allow reduce (about 5 minutes).

add broth and allow to cook. add cornstarch slurry & stir to combine. lower heat and simmer until thickened. add lemon juice, parsley, & pepper.

if necessary, thin out sauce with additional soy milk.

top noodles with meatballs & gravy & enjoy.

12.07.2008

galena in pictures, & more!

i know i'm a little (okay, a lot) late in blogging, but here are some photos from galena!



(note: every time we stay at hawk valley, we take a picture of us jumping on the bad. so silly bed jumping picture #3!)






i've been pretty busy lately... lots of work to do as the semester winds down and when i actually have some time to relax, i take full advantage of it. we've had a wonderful, lazy weekend... i've been cooking and baking and ryan has diligently cleaned up after me.

i made a wonderful leek & potato soup this weekend. simple, but very flavorful and fulfilling.



ingredients:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 leeks, sliced into thin rounds
half a white onion, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
2 pounds red potatoes, cut into bit size cubes
vegetable stock (2-3 cups) [** or 2-3 cups of water with one vegetable bouillon cube.]
1 1/2 cups white wine
1/2 t dried thyme
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
about 1/2 cup of soy milk
salt + pepper

1. saute leeks, onion, & carrots in olive oil until soft & translucent. add garlic and saute for another few minutes.
2. deglaze the pot with a bit of white wine. add potatoes, stock, wine, thyme, and parsley.
3. simmer on low-medium heat until potatoes are cooked through and fork tender.
4. transfer half of the mixture to a blender. add soy milk and blend until smooth and creamy.
5. add the blended mixture back to pot and stir to combine. salt + pepper to taste.
6. garnish with chopped scallion and more parsley.

i used some leftover black bean sauce from the local chinese restaurant to make tonight's dinner. i cheated, but it was still delicious and, not to mention, a lot cheaper than ordering take-out.



yum.

11.15.2008

pyrex finds from the past few months... & food!

we've had some awesome finds at our local antique/thrift shops the past few months... most of these we've been lucky to find locally, but i do admit to order some from ebay & etsy!







i bought a few individual gratin dishes off etsy and had glorious fantasies about making individual pot pies & the like but i've also seen a few recipes for baked pumpkin pasta floating around, so i decided to take a stab at it. i saw paula dean make hers with butter (of course), sausage, heavy cream, & lots of cheese... and i have been eying the veganomicon pumpkin baked ziti recipe for a while, but wanted something a bit quicker & easier. i also only had rotini, but it ended up working out fine :)



ingredients:
1 lb whole wheat pasta (your choice... i used rotini, but would recommend ziti or penne)
1 recipe tofu ricotta. i use this one as a base, but usually add some soy milk to make it creamy and smooth. here i omitted the basil
1 T extra virgin olive oil
half a large onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 can pureed pumpkin
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 t rubbed sage
1/2 t dried thyme
generous pinch of nutmeg

for herbed bread crumbs:
1-1 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 t earth balance
generous pinch of sage
salt + pepper

(preheat oven to 375 degrees)

01. cook the pasta! strain it and rinse with cool water BEFORE it's al dente.
02. make tofu ricotta & set it aside.
03. saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until caramelized. add garlic & cook some more.
04. add canned pumpkin and cook briefly. add soy milk to make a creamy sauce & season with herbs, nutmeg, salt & pepper. let cook a few minutes longer.

(meanwhile, melt the earth balance in a pan. add breadcrumbs and seasoning and toast until browned.)

05. when pasta is done, toss with the pumpkin sauce off the heat. immediately transfer to a casserole, stir in tofu ricotta, & top with bread crumbs. throw it in the oven and cook until sauce is bubbly & bread crumbs are nice and toasty brown. enjoy!

(also, gratuitous weight loss update: 20.2 lbs down, 10% of the starting body weight. still got some ways to go, but feeling really good.)

10.12.2008

i love salsa verde!


i really love salsa verde.
despite my love for spicy food, i actually don't make mine very spicy at all.

(i do prefer my red salsa fiery hot, however!)

i've messed around with several different recipes, and i think this is the real winner. i prefer a chunkier salsa, but i'm sure it'd be just as good blended smooth.

ingredients:
1.5 lbs tomatillos, husks removed, washed & cut in half
2-3 serrano chilies, seeded
1 medium white onion, diced
2-3 large garlic cloves
juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp sugar
salt + pepper to taste

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. prep veggies.
2. place chilies and tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down. spray with olive oil and salt + pepper. pop 'em in the oven for 5-7 minutes (or until the tomatillos release their liquid and roast.)
3. ... in the meantime, spray a pan with olive oil and saute onion until softened.
4. add garlic and roasted tomatillos/chilies to pan and cook some more (about 5 minutes). remove from heat.
5. when cooled, transfer to blender and add lime juice, sugar and cilantro.
6. pulse to desired consistency, scraping down sides with a spatula to keep salsa well incorporated. add salt + pepper to taste if desired.
7. serve immediately or allow to cool... its good both ways!


ryan & abby came over for dinner last night and we had tacos with rice and beans. we had found a package of prepared shredded "vegetarian chicken" last weekend at the asian market so i sauteed it up with lots of spices, a yellow bell pepper, tomato, and an onion. totally delicious wrapped up in soft corn tortillas & topped with lots of salsa verde and crunchy purple cabbage. we played poker which was super fun but, as usual, ryno kicked my A and won the $25. boo!!

10.06.2008

lots going on!!

ryan and i have both been working lots, and i've also been very busy with school stuffs. weight watchers is still going well... i lost another pound at my last weigh in, which is right on track with recommended healthy weight loss. i survived this weekend partly because ryan was working, and i've made some yummy food!

last night we had the leek & bean cassoulet from veganomicon, but i decided to skip the biscuits to keep it core plan-compatible.

tonight i made a super delicious stuffed squash! i adapted it from a weight watchers recipe, and it was surprisingly good.



recipe!

ingredients:

1 acorn squash
8 oz of white mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 shallot, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2 tsp of soy sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp ground savory
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt + pepper to taste
2 T dry sherry

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. slice acorn squash in half, or get someone strong to do it for you!
3. spray with extra virgin olive oil. i use this nifty thing, but rub with olive oil before using store-bought cooking spray! salt + pepper.
4. roast face down on a baking sheet for about 40-50 minutes, or until soft.
5. while squash is roasting, heat 2 tsp of olive oil in skillet. add mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid.
6. add shallots and garlic and cook until shallots soften.
7. sprinkle herbs and nutmeg on top of mushrooms and let sit to reconstitute for a minute or so. stir to incorporate.
8. add cooked brown rice and stir to combine. add soy sauce and sherry and allow to cook out for a couple minutes or so.
9. when acorn squash is softened, take out of oven and stuff with stuffing! stick it back in the oven for 10 minutes or so to heat through.

ryan finished his side, but i was unable to finish mine so i'd say each "side" is a very generous serving!

finally, a gratuitous kitty shot!

9.10.2008

back to school, back to school...

now that i'm back to school my concern is cooking quick, healthy meals so that i have time to do homework & relax in the evenings. so we've had some tacos, fajitas, & stir fries...





we also got a bunch of french goodies from remi in our food exchange!!!



woohooo!

8.24.2008

ryan 2's birthday get-together!

for ryan's birthday, i made a strawberry kittee kake with strawberry cream cheese frosting! i don't make many cakes so frosting & decorating (if you can call it that) it was an experience, to say the least! oh, and buki helped!





8.23.2008

yes, more food!



this morning ryan & i headed out to the farmer's market and picked up our produce for the week. we got some popcorn, two walla walla onions, big tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, yellow + green long beans, swiss chard, & flat leaf parsley.

we also found some massive avocados at the mexican grocery store!


& we're sending a vegan care package to Remi from dead format in france!

not shown in picture:
ricemellow and teese

8.20.2008

8.19.2008

a productive food day!

phew! today i made a bunch of things for during the week...

this morning before work i made the filling for a biscuit-topped stew with some things i had hanging around the kitchen. the stew has finely diced onions, carrots, and sweet potato + fresh corn, green peas, & tempeh in a tangy herb gravy. tomorrow i'll top the casserole with some fluffy biscuits... mm, comfort food!

today i also made some chocolate chip cookies and some butternut squash wontons!




for the wonton filling i roasted and mashed two medium butternut squash and then sauteed it with some sage, garlic + onion powder, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. i fried them in some canola oil... which i never do, but i just couldn't resist! they are so so rich and i think i may pair them with a chili-plum sauce later this week.

8.17.2008

a lazy sunday

we've been having a bit of a lazy sunday hanging out and watching tv & the kitties have been lounging around the living room all day...

last week we made reservations at hawk valley retreat in galena, il so we're trying to hard to stick to a strict budget before our vacation in november! we're trying to drive the car as little as possible and i'll be biking to and from school come august 25th! i'm excited for classes to start back up and hope i can find that balance between school, work, and everything else...

for dinner we made bbq baked tofu, cumin/lime fried jasmine rice, and some more local corn.



the tofu was baked with some sauce out of the bottle and the rice was stir fried with extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, lime zest, cumin, and cayenne. we just ate the corn with a squeeze of lime juice and some salt. simple, quick, and delicious.

birthday parties & a heart shaped breakfast!

yesterday brayden came over! we played cars, had a "birthday party" (aka: ate cupcakes), & went to the mexican restaurant for lunch.


this morning ryno & i made heart shaped biscuits to have with gravy... it was delicious and adorable!




i also wanted to share the great surprise ryan brought home on friday! when we were in DC for polly's wedding we went to a book store & i found this great book but we both agreed to pass it up. when i got home, i searched and searched for this book online but had completely forgotten the name... well, ryan found it for me & it's just as great as i remembered! so great!

8.06.2008

a bit on local eating, & some dinners...

the aurora farmer's market has finally gotten into full swing & we've been enjoying the bounty of local produce very much. the aurora market may not have some of the fancier things others have but everything we've gotten has been delicious.

we bought a half dozen ears of corn last saturday and i'm definitely regretting not buying the full dozen! it is hands down the best corn i've ever tasted and i'm pretty sure it'd be blasphemous to soak it in butter like so many of us are used to doing...

as part of a surprise batch of gifts for me, ryan picked up some awesome roundhouse rootbeer... also local, also delicious!



last night i made the chili-cornmeal crusted crusted tofu from veganomicon with a side of steamed local swiss chard & bicolor corn. delicious, as expected! he also got us the first season of law and order svu on dvd & a raw foods cookbook for me!!

tonight i made a vegan take on "salsibury steak" with some more corn on the cob & some homemade dinner rolls, which were perfect for soaking up the savory gravy. i've never had salsibury steak before, but ryno said it was definitely reminiscent and delicious!



to make the gravy i caramelized some thinly sliced onion and button mushrooms in olive oil and brown sugar. then i stirred in some flour & broth until thickened, tossed in some herbs, lots of black pepper, and (the cheater part) a packet of onion soup mix. i boiled and seared some chunks of tempeh and simmered them in the gravy while the rolls baked. by the way, i used this recipe for the rolls and it couldn't be easier thanks to buttercup!

very yummy. the picture may look a bit dull, but this was perfect summertime comfort food.

6.19.2008

green smoothie!

i've been reading a lot about the benefits of dark leafy greens and also green smoothies, so this morning when i discovered that ryno ate my last apple, i headed into the kitchen to experiment. "eat a banana," he told me, knowing full well that i have a love/hate relationship with bananas... the taste and smell doesn't bother me in the least, but the feeling of biting into a mushy, warm banana is enough to keep me away from them.
this smoothie is the first green smoothie i've ever made at home, and i must say that i'm pleasantly surprised! i was worried about masking the taste of the spinach, but the fruit definitely did it's thing. yum!



mango-spinach smoothie

ingredients:
2 ice cubes
5-7 cubes of frozen mango
1 banana
biiiiig handful of spinach
& enough soy milk to make it blend easily

blend & enjoy! this combo makes enough for one big glass of smoothie, as pictured.

6.09.2008

DC craziness!!

our whirlwind trip to DC for polly's wedding was great! we left right after ryan got out of work at friday and set out for what would turn out to be a pretty crazy 12 hours! the first few hours went great until the weather shifted and and we drove threw what we later found out was a tornado! we nearly ran out of gas in ohio because the gas station we stopped at had no electricity, goodness! after some illegal u-turns and crazy driving, we were back on our way. things went rather swimmingly despite our own exhaustion but we kept trucking despite having to sleep in a mcdonald's parking lot for an hour just outside of the city. when we were driving through pennsylvania and maryland, it was already very late and so so dark, not to mention the fog!

we got into DC around 7 AM, walked around for a bit, and killed some time until sticky fingers opened! we split a sticky bun, an everything bagel with tofutti cream cheese, and i had a yummy cupcake & the best soy cappuccino ever! i also had temptation vegan soft serve, which was pretty much the best thing in the universe!

its so nice to be able to go into a place and order anything off the menu without having to worry about ingredients... sticky fingers is definitely an inspiration and even more motivation to open my own vegan shop! the treats were great, as expected... everything was perfect! unfortunately ryan wasn't able to get a chili dog like he wanted to, but i'll make my own interpretation this week to satiate the craving! they also had things like vegan breakfast sandwiches plus tons of other bakery/pastry items and cookies. unfortunately we didn't get to sample everything but i would definitely have loved to! we had to leave room for our lunch at java green! ryan had the turkey/bacon club with some popcorn "chicken" and i had the "temptation" grilled tempeh sandwich with a side salad. also very yum!







we also went and saw the pandas, which was the GREATEST THING EVER! the pandas were great, and the one panda was a total ham! he climbed the tree and huffed and puffed and totally loved the attention from the "audience"! we watched him munch on some bamboo and play in the water, too!







the wedding was lovely and it was great to meet some of ryan's friends. we both had great time despite some driving frustration (google maps is very unreliable, we've found out) and my dress being wrinkled! we ended up getting dressed in a starbucks bathroom and i put makeup on in the car in what was 100+ degree heat... overall a great time with some ups & downs along the way but everything worked out great. we took a hybrid cab back to the hotel since we both had a buzz going and ended up crashing around 9. we woke up, had a breakfast, and head out at 7. needless to say we made great time, and were back home before 6.

best 48 hour vacation of my life!