Field Roast Sausages - For Piggy sans the Pig

As you've read in previous posts, sausage was a big part of our lives prior to the whole vegan thing. We ate plenty of sausage and pasta, sausage pizza, sausage and peppers, etc. I'm kind of new to the whole world of meat analogs, and I'm not sure how I feel about most of them just yet. I do know for sure, however, that the choices have greatly improved since my being a non-meat eater 10 years ago. Last night, I tried Field Roast Grain Meat Sausages for the first time, and I have to say that I actually liked them. They are seasoned thoughtfully with eggplant, garlic, fennel and wine, but may be a bit heavy on the salt. I think my new palate is learning to really enjoy foods without the extra sodium. Regardless, the sausage was still very good. I think they would certainly make a great addition to a pizza. 

For those of you who don't want to overdose on protein, don't go crazy on these. They serve up a whopping 25 grams of protein per sausage, which is awesome only if you're trying to find a way of making sure to have enough protein. I know, I know. You worry about my lack of protein, being that I'm a vegan and all, but balance is the key. While plant protein, unlike animal protein, is generally safe even in high quantities, it is still always good to have a varied diet, and not too much of any one good thing. A person of my stature should have about 46-58 grams of protein per day, and that may even be a high estimate. But this has nothing to do with the tasty sausage I'm complimenting does it?  Maybe I'll save the topic of protein for another post :)

Nate's Two Cents: Actually, Tara, it's too late for you to backtrack on this one.  You've already taken the lid off the "protein debate" can, so we might as well talk about it a bit more.  The largest and most comprehensive study of human nutrition ever conducted--the so-called "China Study" (also the name of a book that should be required reading for everyone in America)--demonstrated some amazing correlations between high animal protein consumption and cancer (among other things). I have been a lifelong animal protein junkie, but after reading several books on the subject, I've come to question everything the Beef Council made sure our schools told us. In a future post I'll expand on that.  For now, the sausage--incredibly well-seasoned, albeit salty, for a fake meat.  The fennel did its job, packing punch in every bite. Even my meat-obsessed seven-year-old couldn't tell the difference, and this is a kid who could tell when I used rice milk instead of almond milk in his pancake batter!  My suggestion would be to put this almost-sausage on pizza or in a sweet tomato sauce.  And don't tell your guests--I can just about guarantee they won't know the difference.

Best Brown Rice Ever

Apparently those who are conscious of their health should forsake white rice for brown rice. It just so happens, that I grew up on rice, but have more recently developed a love affair with the brown variety. My mom's rice cooker is nearly 40 years old, and is still churning out rice by the boat load year after year. I'm not normally a fan of kitchen appliances. Especially in a kitchen that is lacking space in a major way, I'm partial to a few good pots and pans to get the job done. However, brown rice is a little tricky unless you want to stand next to the stove for an hour making sure it doesn't burn at the bottom of the pan, which incidentally makes for a very unpleasant dish washing experience. Do I have a point?  Oh yeah, brown rice. I remembered that buried out in the garage was my rice cooker, and I thought I should try the brown rice in it instead of a pot to see what happened.  And guess what?  Perfect brown rice without any fuss.  I've tried a few brands, but right now I'm settled on Lundberg Organic Brown Jasmine as my favorite.  I just followed the recipe on the package which made for the best brown rice ever; nutty, chewy (not sticky) and perfectly delicious.  Seriously, you have to try it!

El Cheapo Burritos - Vegan Black Bean Veggie Burritos

I'm a huge fan of healthy convenience foods. Unfortunately, most of my favorite brands really put a dent in our budget. Many vegan burritos in the freezer section cost 2.50 - 3.50 a piece; quite the steep price for some beans, veggies and a tortilla. I've been having so much fun running around the city with my 2 handsome little guys this summer, so it's especially nice to have foods I can warm up easily for a quick lunch. And since Nate has jumped on my vegan bandwagon, many of my snacks have been disappearing mysteriously. I don't blame him. The hubs needs something he can grab on the way to work as well. He can eat at work in the cafeteria, but I'd rather him not unless I prefer him with high cholesterol. I whipped these up tonight, and yum! What a perfect way to make your tummy happy, and your dollar stretch. You can freeze these, and warm them up whenever your darling little heart desires.

El Cheapo Burritos

3 C. Black Beans

1 Can Organic Diced Tomatoes

2 T. Olive Oil

Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Half Red Onion, diced

2 Bell Peppers, diced (any variety) 

1 t. Smoked Paprika

1 t. Cumin

2 C. Cooked Brown Rice

1/4 C. Chopped Cilantro

Salt and Pepper to taste

12 Whole Wheat Tortillas - Fajita size

In a food processor, process half of black beans and diced tomatoes until smooth.  Set aside. In large heavy skillet, warm olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper over medium heat until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add onion, and saute for 3-4 minutes. Next add the peppers, paprika and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until veggies are tender. Add processed bean mixture and whole beans.  Heat through, and add more salt and pepper to your taste.  Mix in brown rice and cilantro.  Heat tortillas on flat cast iron skillet, and add about 1/2 cup mixture to each tortilla. You can serve them now, or freeze them.  When reheating from frozen, wrap in tin foil and warm up for 1 hour at 350 degrees.  You can also microwave them, but I prefer the former method best.  Enjoy :)

Nate's Two Cents: Ay, caramba! I have NEVER enjoyed a bean burrito more.  Maybe it's my newly-vegan palate finally appreciating the explosion of flavors the veggie world has to offer, but really, between the beans and the peppers and the rice...wow.  I liked it enough to eat it cold. Not kidding.  For lunch at work I just pulled one of these out of the ziploc bag (oops, sorry, environmentally conscious readers) I had brought it in, and ate the whole thing without warming it up.  The flavors--sweet, tangy, spicy, hearty--might have even been enhanced by the non-nuke approach. 

A Berry Satisfying Treat

What's more American than a blueberry cobbler in the summer?  With blueberries showing up by the truckloads in my local markets, I decided this beautiful, sunshiny summer day needed to be celebrated with a delicious dessert. This last batch I bought wasn't as sweet as I like, so of course cobbler is the best spa treatment for tart berries. Top it off with a scoop of yummy rice cream, and you're in business!

Fresh Vegan Blueberry Cobbler

4 - 6 C. Fresh Blueberries
1/4 c. Sugar
1 T. Corn Starch
1 C. All Purpose Flour
1/2 C. Raw Sugar
1 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Cinnamon
Pinch of Nutmeg
Dash of Salt
1 T. Organic Canola Oil
1 t. Vanilla
1/2 C. Soy Milk + 1-2 T. more if needed.
2 t. Sugar
1/2 t. Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8 inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Combine blueberries, 2 T. Sugar 1 t. and corn starch in baking pan. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, 1/2 t. cinnamon and salt in a bowl.  In another bowl, combine oil, vanilla and soy milk.  Stir briskly to combine. Make a well in the dry ingredient bowl, and add wet ingredients. Stir gently until just combined. Drop mixture using small cookie dough scoop. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon and 2 t. sugar over the dough. Bake for 30-35 minutes until dough is slightly brown and filling is bubbling happily. Serve warm and share with friends :)

Peanut Butta Makes Everything Betta

Oh, how I love peanut butter. Peanut butter cups, cookies, sauce, soup, whateva.  I just love it.  So, of course one who adores peanut butter needs a decent cookie recipe. These aren't the kind of cookie you indulge on however. A teeny slice will do just fine, or I'd be back up to piggy status in no time. I've made these several times since this whole vegan adventure, and they end up eaten before I even get a picture.  I rescued this last one from my 7 year old as he was lifting the cake plate lid to snatch it up.  

Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies

1 1/2 C. Natural Creamy Peanut Butter

2/3 C. Organic Canola Oil

4 t. Vanilla

1/2 C. Almond Milk

2 C. Brown Sugar

2 C. All Purpose Flour

1 t. Baking Powder

1 t. Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 X 13 pan. Cream peanut butter, sugar, oil, vanilla and milk together until smooth. Combine in another bowl the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixture.  When combined, press dough into greased pan. Bake for 23-25 minutes until lightly browned.  Allow to cool in pan before serving.  I half this recipe and use an 8 inch cake pan when I don't have as much peanut butter to spare. You could also add chocolate chips or chopped nuts.  Either way is supper yummy. Enjoy :) 

This recipe is modified from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar.

Simply The Pesto - Vegan Parsley and Walnut Pesto

I've been digging around in my old recipes, and found that most of my stand-byes are most certainly not vegan. What's so great about being a vegan in 2010 is that there are so many great options for substitutions. I've been having so much fun veganizing old favorites. I picked up my first bottle of vegan grated parmesan the other day at the store, and ran across an old recipe today for my favorite pesto. Of course the original has "real" parmesan, but I couldn't tell a difference. Pesto in it's many variations is such a wonderful sauce. You can put in on pasta, as a spread for a yummy sandwich, or it is fantastic as a sauce for a pizza.

Tonight I boiled up a box of whole wheat linguine, sautéed some mushrooms, added a few handfuls of spinach, and tossed it all together with about half of this recipe's pesto. Serious Yum!  I love using parsley here instead of basil for a change because it's just so stinkin' good for you. 1 cup has 20 % of your iron, and over 100 % of your daily vitamin A and C.  Major bonus!

Vegan Parley and Walnut Pesto

4 Cups Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley (or one large bunch)

1/2 C. Toasted Walnuts

1/2 C. Vegan Parmesan

2 Garlic Cloves, pressed

Juice of one Lemon

1-2 t. Lemon Zest

1/2 C. Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Ground Pepper to taste

Add parsley, walnuts, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice and zest to a food processor.  Puree until pasty. With the machine running, add oil in a slow stream.  Puree for another minute.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If using on pasta, reserve about 1/4 - 1/2 c. of pasta water to thin out the sauce.  Enjoy :)

Nate's Two Cents: It's not the first time I've pointed this out, but one benefit of making pasta without meat is that the delicate flavors of the pasta itself, not to mention the sauce, actually get a chance to star for once.  Think about it: How else would Tom Hanks have been discovered if not for "Bosom Buddies?"  But I digress.  I found this version milder and smoother than the traditional "fleshed-out" chicken pasta I used to eat.  And if texture is a big thing for you, don't worry too much about that.  The mushrooms make a capable stunt double for any meat you might have used otherwise.

The Kind Diet - Black Eyed Pea Croquettes

I have been intrigued by the Black Eyed Pea Croquettes recipe in the The Kind Diet since I got my hands on it.  I'm a huge fan of falafel, so I wondered how an essentially gussied up falafel would taste with black eyed peas rather than garbanzos.  I have to say that it was quite good, though the recipe may have lacked some salt, or I lack salt discretion.  Probably the latter. The sauce is malt syrup and grainy dijon which was a fun new sauce to try. I think if I made these again, I might make a more savory sauce. Either way, it was a fun little project this afternoon :)

Nate's Two Cents: In my carnivorous days, I could always make room, no matter how full I might be, for something salty, fried, or sweet.  Some things never change.  I had just polished off a bowl of leftover lentil soup when (bam) Tara set these three lovely spherical fried things in front of me...and presto, the lentils were forgotten and I was good to go for a second lunch.  I have to say, if these aren't the best thing to happen to black eyed peas since Fergie, they're close.  Think hush-puppy consistency, falafel taste.  Filling and wonderful.  Don't worry if you've already eaten.  Your belly will make room.

One Day Till the Farmer's Market

Forgive the lack of posts for the past few days. My kind in-laws invited us over 2 nights in a row, which left my burners cold.  It was serendipitous that they did, because I was running low on anything fun to cook.  Tomorrow I get to go to my local market. I'm finding that I'm looking forward to my farmer's market days more an more. I love seeing what new crops are coming up.  We are still pretty fresh into the season here in the Midwest, so things are new every week.  In an attempt to be honest about what in the world I'm eating on said vegan diet, I'll share my not so gourmet meals as well for perspective. My fridge had very little to offer me tonight. Some spinach, a few lemons, a couple of pats of butter, so here is what I made:

Lemony Whole Wheat Pasta with Spinach

1 lb. Whole Wheat Pasta of your choosing

3-4 Handfuls of Spinach

1/2 - 3/4 Cup Warm Vegetable Broth

3 Garlic Cloves

1 T. Olive Oil

3 T. Earth Balance Butter

2 t. Lemon Zest

2-3 T. Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain. In the same pot heat olive oil and garlic until fragrant. Add pasta, vegetable broth, butter, lemon zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss, and that's it :) A delicious, juicy red tomato diced would be lovely added to this, but I gobbled mine up before I had a chance to use it here. 

Nate's Two Cents: After being on a mostly-veggie diet these past few weeks I have come to appreciate small wonders like spinach. In this particular little "thrown together" dish of Tara's I found the spinach, with just a tiny bit of salt for taste, packed loads of flavor--deep, complex, earthy, mildly sweet flavor that lingers on the tongue. I agree with her that the dish is sort of a blank slate, too, upon which layers of other flavors could conceivably be added--tomatoes, pine nuts, whatever you might have on hand.  But even as is, it was satisfying and tasty.  And for what it's worth, I'm starting to miss meat a little less.

Soups up! - Vegan Black Bean Soup

I love finding ways to get in all the proper nutrition I need in my new diet.  Black beans are such a power packed food. One cup of black beans yields 15 g. of protein, 15 g. of fiber, 64% of daily folate, and 20% of your daily iron needs among other things. What's not to love about the black bean?  I've made this recipe a bunch of times, in a ton of different combinations. I love a versatile recipe that you can substitute and change to suit what is in season, or fits whatever it is I have in the pantry at the time.  I've used cannellini, kidney, and navy beans, and changed up the fresh herbs and spices. Bump up the chili powder, and add soy crumbles, and it makes a yummy vegan chili. It's super filling too, and won't leave you feeling hungry.  Have fun making this recipe your own.

Simple Black Bean Soup

4 Cans of Organic Black Beans

2 C. Vegetable Stock

1 Can Organic Diced Tomatoes

1 T. Olive Oil

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Medium Red Onion, diced

2 Carrots, peeled and sliced

1/4 - 1/2 C. Fresh Herbs, chopped such as Cilantro or Parsley

1 t. Cumin

1 t. Chili Powder

1 t.  Smoked Paprika

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Place half of beans and tomatoes in food processor, and process until smooth. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and carrots. Sauté until tender, about 7 minutes. Add broth, spices, bean puree and the rest of the beans to the mix.  If you like a more brothy soup, add  1/2 - 1 cup more stock. If you like a thicker soup, reduce broth from 2 cups to 1 1/2 cup. Reduce to very low heat. Cover and simmer slowly about 20 minutes, stirring every once in a while to prevent the beans from burning at the bottom of the pan. This soup tastes great with a small scoop of brown rice. Serve with warm whole wheat tortillas and a salad for a completely satisfying meal.

Nate's Two Cents: Tara has made a lot of soups, and a lot of them have been black bean soups, but this was by far her BEST black bean soup ever.  I warmed it up three days in a row for my lunch at work, and each time people would walk by and comment on the delicious smell (just before looking down mournfully at the prepackaged lunches they were about to eat). There's just something about the aroma of homemade soup.  (Really, I don't know why they haven't made candles in the smell of sauteed onions and garlic yet.)  Next time I'll bring enough to share.  Maybe.

Golden Starches - Pan Crisped Polenta

I was running low on items in the pantry, but lo and behold, I had a jar full of polenta corn grits.  Normally I cook polenta as a hot cereal, but decided today to try it heated in olive oil until crispy. I topped it with fresh tomatoes and onions which was a fresh summery treat.  This would be especially yummy with sliced veggie sausage and marinara.  I'm going to try it that way the next time.  Yum!  

Pan Crisped Polenta

6 cups of vegetable stock (unsalted or low if you have it)

2 C. Polenta Corn Grits

2 T. Earth Balance Butter

1 t. Salt (only if your vegetable stock is unsalted.)

More Olive oil for pan.

Lighty oil a 9 X 13 pan.  Bring stock and water to boil.  Stir in polenta slowly.  Lower the heat, and stir regulary for 20 minutes until very thick.  Stir in butter.  Spoon polenta into pan, and let set for about 10 minutes.  You could serve it hot just like this, but if you want to warm it up and crisp it, follow the next step.  Set in the refridgerator for at least 2 hours.  Cut into squares.  Warm enough olive oil to cover bottom of cast iron or heavy skillet over med-high heat.  Sauté squares until lightly browned.  Top with any sauce of your choosing.  You could also half this recipe for a smaller family, and use instead an 8 X 8 pan. Enjoy :) 

Summer, Summer Time

We're big pasta people 'round here.  Since it's summer time, I thought it was the perfect time to make a summer pasta.  This is my go-to sauce when I want to make a quick dinner. It doesn't matter what pasta you choose, or what embellishment ingredients you decide on, it brightens any dish.  Another bonus is that it is so quick and easy that you don't have to fuss over it all day like many traditional Italian sauces. This is my father-in-law's sauce. He learned how to make it from his close Italian friends, so I'd like to think of it as semi-authentic. Tonight I chose to use whole wheat angel hair which I topped with sauteed broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms and onions.  This was a lovely light dish for a hot summer day.  Serve it with a simple salad and crusty bread, and you're all set for company.

Nate's Two Cents: Since this dish features a sauce I ate with Italian sausage about, oh, six thousand times growing up, I was intrigued by the idea of eating it sans meat.  Well, as it turns out, the sauce really shines when it doesn't have to compete with anything fleshy.  It comes off lighter, more vibrant and citrusy, and well-suited for the asparagus-broccoli bits that color the dish.  I'm not saying I'm totally rehabilitated yet from my addiction to Scimeca's, but slowly I'm gaining a new appreciation for dishes that come from the garden rather than the butcher's block. Who knew?

Simple Summer Sauce (Easiest Pasta Sauce in the Whole World)

3 Cans of Organic Diced or Whole Tomatoes

3 Garlic Cloves minced finely

1 T. Olive Oil

1 1/2 t. Dried Basil

2 Pinches of Crushed Red Pepper

Fresh Ground Pepper

In a cold pot, add olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper.  Turn up heat to medium.  As soon as the garlic is fragrant, add the tomatoes and the rest of the seasonings.  Garlic burns easily, so make sure it doesn't burn, or your sauce will be bitter.  Reduce heat, and cover.  Cook over very low heat for 20 minutes.  Use a stick blender to blend your sauce to your desired consistency.  I don't add salt, but you can if you want.  And that's it!  Easy, huh?

Vegan Cookie Dough Bon Bons

So, yeah. This is not health food. I had to whip up some treats to share, and I only had ingredients to prepare something not so guilt free. So I thought: Who doesn't love cookie dough?  Maybe my family is an anomaly when it comes to this, but there have been a few throw-downs at our house over who gets to lick the cookie dough spoon. What's great about this recipe is that you don't have to worry about salmonella because there are no eggs. Bonus! This is a bit of a variation of Cookie Dough Scoops from Vegan Cookies Take Over Your Cookie Jar. I doubled the recipe to be able to share more, and changed a few things to fit what I had in my pantry.  These taste much better when frozen, so if you're transporting them, make sure to take them out of the freezer just before you leave, or they'll be the consistency of cookie dough which is not necessarily a bad thing IMO. Make sure to make people eat them all, so you take home NONE :)

Vegan Cookie Dough Bon Bons

2 C. Brown Sugar (dark if you have it)

1/2 C. Almond Milk

1 C. Earth Balance Vegan Butter

1 T. Vanilla 

3 1/2 C. All Purpose Flour

1/2 t. Salt

2 C. Vegan Chocolate Chips

For the Drizzle

1 C. Vegan Chocolate Chips

2 T. Soy Creamer

Beat sugar and butter together. Add almond milk, and vanilla, and beat until combined.  Add the salt and flour, and beat until fluffy. Add chocolate chips. Using a large cookie sheet covered with parchment, scoop out tablespoon sized balls of dough onto parchment. Next add chocolate chips and creamer in a pan over very low heat.  Stir until melted.  Pour melted chocolate into a zip lock bag, and cut the tip off.  Drizzle over bon bons.  Place cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen, about an hour or longer. Enjoy :)

Smartly Dressed - Balsamic Vinaigrette

I'm so happy that farmer's market season is here again in the Midwest. While some of you West and East coasters enjoy fresh produce year round, we suffer here during the winter solstice.  With my new veg-dentity, I have located the best makets to visit. We have a large city farmer's market here in Kansas City, but I prefer to drive a bit farther to the Farmer's Community Market in Brookside. It's like they hand picked all the best farms, and omitted all the extra non-organic extra filler vendors that you may find at a larger market.  It's so fun talking to local farmer's about what they like to do with this or that.  I bought this lovely lettuce, some tomatoes, and the most beautiful new potatoes I'd ever seen. Did you know a new potato could be beautiful?  Well, it most certainly can!  My favorite vendor I met hooked me up with the part of the stem that grows out of the garlic to throw on the potatoes (I totally forgot what he called it. Do you know?) He almost tempted me to buy a turnip.  I might try one next week :) Anyway, I needed to whip up a dressing for my salad.  Here's one of my simple favorites:

Balsamic Vinaigrette

3 T. Balsamic Vinegar

1 T. Dijon Mustard

1 Garlic clove minced

1/3 to 1/2 cup of Olive Oil

Pinch of sugar (optional)

Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine vinegar, garlic and mustard.  Add the oil slowly while whisking briskly.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I reduce the amount of olive oil for lower fat version, but if you like a richer dressing, go with all the olive oil.  Enjoy your veggies!

The Kind Diet - Lentil Stew

Yes, it's true.  I might be obsessing about The Kind Diet recipes.  But truly, this is one recipe in particular that needs to be made, and by you (right now.)  Seriously!  This is Lentil Stew (page 171) in it's perfect form.  I don't know why; it just is.  I have made many lentil stews, but for some reason I'm lentil impaired.  My last few attempts have resulted in either too mushy lentils, and underdone veggies, or hard lentils and mushy veggies.  It's hard to get vegetables and lentils to meet right where they're supposed to be in the appropriate textures at the same time. The instructions in this particular recipe are thoughtful and precise, and result in a perfect bowl of stew. The only change I made was to add 1 T. of flour as I was sauteing the vegetables to thicken the broth a tad, and it paid of.  Perfecto!

Nate's Two Cents: Truthfully, I'm still not exactly sure what a lentil looks like in the wild.  But I do know that unlike most of the things I used to eat in my stews, it is treated humanely. And it definitely plays well with others: Is it a vegetable soup featuring lentils?  Or a lentil soup with vegetables?  Yes and yes.  Anyway, it's filling, it's delicious, and it's packed with protein so I can't make any excuses about it being a soup for weenies. Thumbs up.

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

Basically, I live on mushrooms.  Tons of mushrooms do I ingest; I'm not quite sure I could love them more.  Maybe there's some mushroom overload disease I can develop because of my mass consumption, but hopefully not. As fortune would have it, I had some baby portobellos begging to be cooked up. Because they perish so quickly, I didn't want to delay. Many stuffed mushroom recipes call for cheese and butter, but I think these are delicious without.  This is a great way to fancy up your fungi friends :)

Nate's Two Cents: It's hard to determine who loves les champignons more, Tara or me.  I was raised in northern Europe, where mushrooms proliferate like, well, like mushrooms.  Had them in soups, in sauces, ladled over meats, you name it.  So it was a wonderful surprise to come home from a busy day and find a plate of stuffed portabellos waiting for me.  Not only were they perfectly seasoned and succulently tender, but I could have sworn I tasted an almost bacon-like flavor in the mushrooms. (Maybe one of you chemists out there can explain that one....) Anyway, the dish was a winner.  If you're making these for your man, better fix about twenty of 'em.

Stuffed Baby Portobellos

1 1/2 lb. Baby Portobellos the bigger the better (or button mushrooms)
1 1/2 c. Fresh Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
3 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Red Onion chopped
1 Garlic Clove pressed
3/4 t. Sea Salt
2 T. Fresh Parsley chopped
1/2 t. Basil

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Process about 2 slices of whole wheat bread in a food processor.  You can use prepared bread crumbs, but whenever possible, I'd use fresh for sure. This makes about 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs.  It's also a great way to use up the butts of your loaf bread.  Set aside.  Remove stems from mushrooms and chop them right up.  Brush one of the tablespoons of oil around in a 13 X 9 pan.  Heat the rest of the oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Add garlic and onions and sauté for 7 minutes.  Stir in salt, and then bread crumbs, basil, and parsley.  Evenly distribute mixture to mushroom caps.  Bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of your mushroom caps.  Keep an eye out that they don't get too brown.  Serve with a fresh salad, and enjoy!

No Need to Fudge the Truth

My kiddos caught me looking at the Little House of Veggies blog the other day, and absolutely implored me to make the Chocolate Fudge Muffins.  My picture doesn't do them justice (check out the food porn over at the original recipe post.)  They are indeed fudgy, and quite delectable. The recipe calls for white whole wheat flour, but I only had regular which I think added to their already wholesome(y) goodness. With virtually no fat, I'd like to think these are (sort-of) guilt free. I happen to believe that adding a handful of chocolate chips to a recipe won't kill anyone right?  Cut these open, and they're ooey-gooey deliciousness. If you chopped up a cup or so of strawberries, this might make a dignified breakfast. My kids were more than happy to gobble these up.  Nate ate one, and then immediately added another to his plate and declared, "Guilt-Free just got a little more guilty!"  It probably looks like I'm eating nothing but dessert the past few days.  Hmmm...

Nate's Two Cents:  All true. These were really, really good.  In fact, I am seriously considering having another right now.

The Kind Diet - Red Radish Tabbouleh

Well, I guess I'm stuck on The Kind Diet recipes this week.  A friend of mine told me about someone she knows who happens to adore the Red Radish Tabbouleh recipe.  I love, love Mediterranean food, so I was intrigued by this recipe.  I wanted to make it as-is to see if I could stomach the radishes after reading about their many benefits.  Radishes regulate metabolism, improve blood circulation, help a headache, relieve constipation, brings down fever, is beneficial to teeth, gums, nerves nails and hair, and can be used to treat bug bites or stings (and many, many more benefits.) Seriously, the radish is that good for you?  Huh! While radishes are still not my absolute favorite, I am going to certainly try to learn to love them given all I have learned as of late. This dish is Superhero material for sure. The bulgur wheat adds plenty of fiber and protein.  And for goodness sake it has parsley, well, look that up sometime.  It's another one of those things you would never guess would be a powerhouse of goodness.  I'm not sure I could eat this in the serving size suggested, but along side some freshly made falafel, I'd be in heaven.

Nate's Two Cents:  Tara's being honest about loving Mediterranean food, but usually she's the one ordering the vegetable platter while I go for the gyro special, so I was a little unsure about this whole Tabbouleh thing.  Anyway, the good news: It didn't really feel like I was eating radishes. The even better news: the bulgur wheat has a nice texture to it and is surprisingly filling once it settles in the belly.  It's like a fine oatmeal, with the lightness and spiciness of couscous, and the expanding power of cream of wheat once it goes down the hatch (Tara's not going to like that description). A little known fact:  South Seas pirates used to eat Tabbouleh before plundering passing ships. At least, that's what I like to imagine.

The Kind Diet - Peanut Butter Cups

I finally made the beloved Peanut Butter Cups from The Kind Diet.  This recipe is talked about in the book a bunch, and is plastered all over thekindlife.com forum, so I thought it was high time I tried to make them.  The recipe is super easy.  Reece's PB cups are one of my favorite candies, and most certainly prohibited as a vegan.  These definitely taste healthier for a peanut butter cup, but if you love peanut butter they'll hit the spot.  I spent the winter tying to become a chocolate snob by trying all the good dark chocolates I could get my hands on (maybe THAT's why I gained so much weight!)  Alicia's recipe calls for "nondairy chocolate or carob chips."  For some reason, I guess I didn't realize how easy it is to find nondairy chocolate, and thought I should at least try carob. Please for your chocolate loving soul, do not use carob.  I had never tried carob before, and used it in this recipe. I'm glad I made a few with less carob to get the idea. Some people really like carob.  I most certainly don't.  I'm going to make a new batch stat with real (nondairy) chocolate.  I may try a few other tweaks.  I'll let you know how they turn out...

As a matter of fact I do know (flap)jack

I am finding out more and more that Vegans too can eat delicious foods, and don't have to suffer the loss of cupcakes, cookies and pancakes!  My kids were begging for pancakes this morning, so I veganified them.  I especially love pancakes cooked on a cast iron skillet.  If you put just a little (vegan) butter in the pan, they brown up deliciously.  An added bonus to cooking with cast iron is that you add iron to your food as well, which is lovely since I no longer eat red meat. I read that a new cast iron skillet adds more iron, but I love my old perfectly seasoned pan much better.  Always, always splurge on real maple syrup.  Yes, I know how expensive it is, but it goes a long way and is worth every penny.  You can substitute any non-dairy milk, but our family favorite is Blue Diamond almond milk.  Skip Silk brand almond milk.  It tastes like it's thickened with uncooked flour.  Applesauce can be substituted for pear sauce, but we happened to have pear, so I thought, why not?  These are filling and a perfect way to start your morning!

Delicious Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1 T. Brown Sugar
1 1/2 t. Baking Soda
1/8 t. Salt
1 C. Almond Milk
2 T. Pear Sauce (or Applesauce)
Earth Balance Vegan Butter


Mix all dry ingredients together.  Add almond milk and pear sauce to dry ingredients. Mix gently; batter will be slightly lumpy and thick. Heat cast iron skillet (if you have one.) Try to not get the pan too hot or you'll have burnt hockey pucks. Add a pat of butter to the pan if you want them to taste especially good, or omit and use non-stick spray if you're trying to save yourself some calories.  I like to use a tablespoon cookie scoop to add batter to the pan so they're more uniform and easier to flip, but anything will do.  When you see bubbles forming, it's time to flip-a-roo.  Try to wait until that happens or the pancakes will break.  Drizzle with real maple syrup, and serve them bad boys!  Your kiddos will be "yumming" all over the place!

Bean There, Done Fat.

I love having something to do with leftovers. Being a vegan means you always have tons of perishables begging to be eaten in the fridge. I especially love a burger, a guilt free one that is.  I made this Dang Good Leftover Stuff in the Fridge Burger recipe I found on VegWeb.  What vegan doesn't have some brown rice hanging out in the fridge and a can of beans in the pantry?  I ended up doubling the recipe because 1 can of beans equals twice the recipe.  I highly recommend using fresh bread crumbs.  I tried to skip a step by using prepared bread crumbs.  While the burger was delicious, it would have been much better had I taken the extra time to make fresh bread crumbs.  Also, make sure you make the patties thin.  They'll be too beany if you don't. Next time I'm going to sauté some mushrooms till they're nice and brown, and add them to the mix.  I'm looking forward to taking some artistic license with this one!

Nate's Two Cents: Tara always includes some footnote to qualify her successes, but keep in mind most of her "short cuts" still lead to pretty tasty dishes.  I personally liked the tender, thick beany consistency.  I took the leftovers the next day and folded them into a whole wheat wrap with some lettuce, tomatoes, and veggie mayo-- sounds weird, but tasted fantastic. (Nothing like those scary looking Big Mac wraps a certain chain keeps plastering all over their billboards). Or an even better leftover idea--any taco salad lovers out there?