Monday, September 29, 2008

Fried Seitan Salad w/ Noochy Salad Dressing


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Unfortunately I am NOT the creator of this Seitan recipe. I got it from an AWESOME blog called Vegan Yum Yum. You should all check it out! (recipe here) I did not make her exact salad, I will one day though because hers looks incredible. Lolo is the SHIT!

HI LOLO!!!

Honestly, her blog is beautiful, she has amazing pictures and she is kind of my inspiration when it comes to her blog. I plan on taking much better pictures of my dishes and hopefully creating as nice a blog as she has. Swing by and give her blog a look-see!!!

OH! And as for my Noochy Salad Dressing... I am still working out the recipe to make it just right. As soon as I do that, I will post... I SWEAR!

Avocado Spread on Focaccia

I apologize to all of you that are following this blog and are let down that it's been probably a week and a half since I posted anything. Last week was finals week at school and I didn't do as much cooking. I'll make it up to you all.


Avocado Spread on Italian Focaccia

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Joelle came over last weekend and we decided to make these. It is really quick and easy.

Avocado Spread:
1 ripe avocado
3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
bit of each: fresh minced garlic (or powder), salt, pepper
few dashes of rice vinegar
1 small tomato sliced thin, thick, whatever
your bread of choice

Mix all of the ingredients except the tomato together in a small bowl. Apply your spread to your bread and add those lovely tomatoes on top of the avocado-y goodness. If you are using the focaccia, you can spread a little vegan margarine on each half and place them face down in a skillet to crisp it up a little. That's how I did mine. Soft outside and crispy center. MmMmMmMmMmMm!!!

Monday, September 15, 2008

A Simple dinner for myself

BBQ Tofu Steak, Green beans and Kaletatoes
I was going to post this last night after dinner but I posted a lot yesterday so I figured I'd wait a day. This is just a post to show you my quick bbq tofu and favorite new thing to eat... KALETATOES!!! Kaletatoes is my new word for kale mixed with mashed potatoes. It is really amazing. I think I am addicted to kale now. I've had 3 recipes on this blog involving kale. I can't help it, it's just the greatest! AND!!! It's good for you!

The money shot!

Kaletatoes:

-1 bunch of Kale chopped as fine as you can get it
-2 lbs of potatoes peeled, cut into cubes and cooked the way you like them, then mashed
-2 or 3 cloves minced garlic (how ever much garlic you want actually)
-1/4 cup vegetable broth
-1tbsp olive oil
-your favorite seasoning to make it taste the way YOU want it to
-some vegan margarine

Use a deep pot to cook your kale. It seems like it'd be a lot BUT it shrinks in the pot just like spinach or greens. Add the olive oil and garlic to the pot and cook the garlic stirring constantly on medium/low heat until they start to lightly brown. Then toss in your chopped kale and mix it all together with the vegetable broth. Let the kale cook, stirring occasionally. When the kale is soft and ready you can add it to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add any seasonings you may want to personalize your kaletatoes. Also, you may want 1 tbsp of vegan margarine and a little bit more vegetable broth to get it mixing smoothly.

There you have it! your very own Kaletatoes!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

NACHOS!!!!!!! *girly squeal*

Who doesn't like nachos?!?!? I freaking LOVE them!!! These are especially special. They contain my new favorite food... Queso from Vegan Explosion. Even my very not vegan roommate ate these happily. (Thanks Neener!) I think I ate WAY too much of this, but I couldn't help myself. They are so good.

What you'll need:
-1 can of vegetarian refried beans (lard-less por favor!)
-1 recipe of Queso
-chopped tomatoes
-guacamole (I store bought mine this time)
-2 tbsp vegan margarine
-small amount of chopped onion (optional if you don't like onion)
-plain tortilla rounds (don't get flavored and rob this recipe of its greatness!)
-litte bit of salt and pepper

FIRST: PREPARE YOUR QUESO!!! Make sure you follow directions carefully. After you remove the queso from the heat and are done with it, set it aside.



THEN: Place your beans into a medium sauce put and cook them in medium heat with 2 tbsp of vegan margarine. Stir occasionally, lower heat after mixed well and very soft.




NOW: Chop up your tomato and mix a small amount of onion and salt and pepper with it. Only a little salt IF ANY, there will be plenty of flavor coming from the Queso!



AND FINALLY, THE ASSEMBLY!

What I like to do is take each chip and layer each chip with beans, then tomato, then guacamole, then pour a little Queso over the top of each little mound. That way they are easier to eat and they also present better. No wasted goodness on the bottom of your plate!

Falafel

So, I was at work and Zach was talking about an amazing falafel he had. Here's how the rest of that conversation that conversation went:

ME: (calling back to him as I'm leaving the music department) Hmm.. I've never had a falafel.
ZACH: GET BACK HERE!! What did you just say?!
ME: (walking back over to him) I've never had a falafel?
ZACH: (angry silence) You're a vegetarian and you've never eaten a falafel?!?!

I explained to him that it's not that I WOULDN'T eat a falafel, I've just never had one. Then, this followed:

ME: Hmm.. I'll have to try that.
ZACH: You better!!!!!!!

(Right: Falafal mixture + water)

So, seeing as that conversation was one of many I've had with him that stuck out in my mind, I decided to have myself a falafel! SO!!! I went to the Whole Foods by my house and while I was there I picked up some falafel mix. When I got home I was really eager to make it.

WHAT YOU NEED:
-Falafel mix
-water
-diced tomatoes
-chopped lettuce (I used red leaf lettuce)
-tahini mixture (this is optional and there should be a recipe for that on the box)
-your favorite kind of pita bread

The easiest part about store bought falafel mix is that all you have to do is add water! Any fool could do that! And since my mama didn't raise no fool... you get the point. I enjoy easy foods because I have little time to spend on cooking. I also was kinda iffy about having to fry them. I haven't had hardly any fried food in about 5 months so I was afraid it would hit my stomach wrong. BUT!, everything turned out ok!

I chopped up some tomatoes, lettuce and mixed together a Tahini sauce. I'm not big on tahini but it actually goes well with the falafel! I assembled them onto a whole wheat pita and BOOM! MY FIRST FALAFEL EVER!!!!!(eating and making one.) And, it tasted pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

I probably won't have these very often because they are fried. These will be more like a reward dinner or something.

The up close view:

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

QUESO?!?!?!?



When I made my transition to veganism I knew it was going to be a challenge to give up cheese. Cheese is naturally addictive because of what is used to make it and I knew I was in for it. It took 2 months for me to actually see or smell it and not want to eat it. There are some people that NEVER get over that. I got lucky I guess, but there are still some times where I want something that is close to a cheesy flavor. I was going through online vegan cooking websites that I have saved as bookmarks and found something that I forgot about. VEGAN EXPLOSION.

I remembered seeing that they had a recipe for QUESO. From what the site claimed, it was extremely close to a cheesy flavor. I've had "cheesy" things before and let me tell you... some didn't taste too great. Well... this recipe really impressed me!

It is not my recipe and I don't want to try to pass it off as my own recipe. It came from HERE if you are interested in how it is made. I am also new to using Nutritional Yeast, and so far so good!

I was really happy with it. I have actually wanted something like this for my Tacos I love to make so much. This will make a nice addition to them!

Monday, September 8, 2008

I love you all!!!!!

You guys are awesome. I'm saying this to the many people in my life that have been there for me and supported me through my transition to living a vegan lifestyle. I actually thought it would be a challenge but it really hasn't been. How could it be when you have:
-Friends coming over to make vegan meals with you
-Friends shopping for produce with you
-People bringing you vegan meals they've made
-People giving me ideas for good eats
-Being a part of 2 online forums of vegans who give advice/cooking tips/health tips

AND!!!!!

-Having non-vegan and vegan friends anxious to get a hold on some of my animal-free creations.

You're all amazing. Thank you for being there for me and keeping the vegan jokes to a minimum.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Peanut Butter Cupcakes... WHOO!!

Baking is so much fun. The weather has been kind of nicer here at night so it's not such a scary thing to turn on the oven after the sun goes down. The air was nice and cool last night so I decided to take advantage and bake up some goodness!!! Last night I baked a batch of Peanut butter cupcakes. They were so good. I got the recipe from Yet another Isa and Terry Cookbook called VEGAN CUPCAKES TAKE OVER THE WORLD. This isn't my first time making these, it's my third time. For those of you who know me, I am a peanut butter fanatic. These just made my life a little more peanut buttery!


Let me tell you, the first time I made these my cupcakes sank. I was so upset! I couldn't figure out what I did wrong. Come to find out my oven is all wonkyass and doesn't heat properly unless you wait longer than like 30 minutes! We now have an oven thermometer because if it's craziness. I watched that oven thermometer like my life depended on it! I didn't want that thing ruining my PB Goodness! Isa says that the first 15 minute of baking cupcakes is the most important time, so DO NOT OPEN THAT OVEN! My oven is older and doesn't have a glass window so I was paranoid! I wanted to know what was going on in there. To be on the safe side I waited 20 minutes before I even peeked. When I opened the oven they were beautiful! I was so happy!

HOWEVER... I was NOT happy with the chocolate/peanut butter icing. It got all funky on me but it's okay! They tasted great, which was what I was going for. But Dag-Nammit, that icing better not crap out on me next time!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would love to share the recipe with you but I don't want to cheat Isa and Terry. I love them too much. BUT!!! If you want, you can come over and we can make these together! Or I'll come to you!!!



Visit the Post Punk Kitchen and search for other cupcake recipes!!!

Monday, September 1, 2008

Tomato, Kale and Garlic Tofu stuffed Pitas



Oh my goodness.

Oh My Gosh.

I think this was a true winner! Yesterday I spent a good chunk of the day making those wonderful Potato and Kale Enchiladas. I had some Kale left over but had no idea what to make with it. I am also running terribly low on food right about now, so when that happens I CONCOCT!!! It is one of my favorite ways to cook and that's when I tend to surprise myself. I took some of the little food I had left and came up with this wonderfully pita-licious lunch!

What I used:

1/2 block of Garlic/Black pepper Tofu Steak
1/4-1/2 tbsp ground cumin
4 chopped Roma tomatoes
2 handfuls of chopped Kale
1/4 cup vegetable broth
minced garlic
seasoned salt
1 tbsp olive oil
pita bread

(Like I said... I didn't have much.)

First, heat whatever pot you are going to cook in and add the olive oil. Now, take your minced garlic and add it to the pot and cook the garlic over medium/low heat. cook your garlic until it lightly starts to brown. When the garlic begins browning reduce the heat to low and add the kale. Stir the kale into the olive oil & garlic until the kale has wilted. Raise your heat back to a medium and add your vegetable broth, tomatoes, tofu, cumin and salt. Stir all of the contents together and continue to stir occasionally until the liquid has dissolved.
Now take your pita bread, yank that sucker open, fill it with this goodness and enjoy! I lightly toasted my pita bread because I like warm bread. It gave the pita a little more flexibility too so it didn't fall apart on me.




This is definitely going on my list of things to cook for the vegan dinner I will be throwing!