mmmmmm.....pppaaarrrssssnnniiiipppsssss

Have I mentioned my new found supreme love for parsnips???  Just in the past couple of weeks, I've used them in several applications: baked, raw, shaved, chunked.  They smell so peppery and delicious when peeling the skins off, and are quickly becoming one of my go-to veggies. 

Last night I had a volleyball game, so I wanted to keep dinner on the light side.  I whipped up two salads in record time with amazing results.  The ideas for both salads came from my body screaming at me to load it with fiber!  I highly recommend, if either of these salads sound yummy to you, making the parsnip salad as a main dish, because it is filling and very satisfying.

 

Parsnip and Avocado Salad
salad mix
parsnips, shaved (discard peel and woody insides)
Craisins (dried cranberries)
avocados, chunked
safflower oil
ume plum vinegar
KS&P
chopped raw almonds

Green Bean, Mushroom and Grape Tomato Salad
fresh green beans, blanched (steamed then immediately plunged into ice cubes and water)
grape tomatoes, halved
button mushrooms
shallots, thinly sliced
fresh dill
safflower oil
white wine vinegar
fresh squeezed lemon juice
KS&P

We polished off the parsnip salad because it would not have been as good the next day, but there are some leftovers of the green bean salad that I am looking forward to eating for lunch today.  The green bean salad would make a great summer salad to bring to BBQs or picnics, because it's good cold or at room temperature.  Plus, it's pretty. :)

not so pretty, but delicious

Last night after taking a yoga class I happened upon by chance, I came home and made Alicia's Scrambled Tofu.  Yum.  I adapted her recipe in TKD, using the veggies I had on hand, which sadly were only peas and carrots.  I didn't snap any photos, partly because it was after 10 p.m. and I was half asleep, and partly because the dish isn't all that pretty.

Before I left for the gym, I had prepared the tofu so that it would be drained and ready for 'scrambling.'  I remember enjoying a tofu scramble at a nearby restaurant, Cafe Bernardo, for breakfast one morning, and it reminded me of an egg skillet scramble with all the veggies and different textures and flavors.  It was so good, and Alicia's recipe did not disappoint.  She notes that adding the umeboshi vinegar is optional, but I love it so much, it was mandatory in my case.  Seriously, I am addicted to that bright iridescent pink tasty goodness.  I may start needing to buy it in bulk.

Her recipe is easily adaptable to whatever goods you have in your fridge and pantry.  I finished my dish with some fresh scallions and toasted sesame seeds.  This dish would be great any time of day, and make an especially tasty breakfast meal if you are or were once a major scrambled egg lover.  It is also part of her superhero recipes, so you can feel extra good about eating a giant bowl of it.  I know I do.

day-before prep + a taste test: soup

So, tomorrow my friend Abby is coming over for dinner, wine, and stories, and since I have planned a three course meal {four, with dessert}, I decided to make the first course, minestrone soup, tonight.  Plus, soup always tastes better the next day, like pasta and popcorn.  I love stale popcorn--I get it from my mom. 

I got the delicious minestrone recipe from VeganYumYum, the site I am currently stalking for recipes and inspiration, and I have to say it is equally sweet and savory, and seriously flavorful.  I used fire-roasted tomatoes and half veg broth/half water, which added a ton of flavor.

The little ladleful in my teacup is vivid with iridescent red broth, bright green peas, and fresh lemon zest.  As I am typing this, I am gobbling it down and just went back for seconds.  The base has thickened a bit which means by tomorrow night the soup will be a hearty consistency--perfect for this cold weather.  And anything I get to put kale in makes me a happy camper.

Also on the menu for tomorrow night's dinner:  asparagus and white bean pesto tart, also from VeganYumYum {I told you, stalker}, and chickpea picatta over mashed potatoes, which I found over at the Post Punk Kitchen.  For dessert, I am making banana 'ice cream,' which is literally just frozen banana, blended in a food processor.  Really, just banana.  I swear the consistency is exactly like ice cream and is really yummy.  Have you had this?  I found it a long time ago on the kitchn.  The first time I made it, which was that very day it was posted, it came out creamy and delicious, but was quite messy, which I guess is half the fun.  I made a lot, so I stored the leftovers in the freezer and it kept a few days.  Nice.

I scored a bottle of Burgans Albarino on clearance at Cost Plus last night while shopping with friend Vicki, for only $7.88!  It's normally like fifteen bucks at Nugget Market, and since one of the recipes calls for white wine, I figure I'll use it and serve the rest at dinner.  Abby said she found Cakebread Chardonnay on sale at Nugget, so we'll definitely be covered in the vino department.

I love vegan food.  Love it.  Abby's vegetarian, so I won't need to defend any part of the meal.  Easy. 

What are your plans for Friday night?  Fancy food?  Friends?  Vino?  I sure hope so, because the holidays are in full swing, and everyone should be in a festive mood.  :)

Have a festive weekend!

{photo source: 1}

yummy brands, comfort food

Yesterday, a stormy day in the capital city, called for grilled cheese sandwiches and hot tomato soup in front of a roaring fire. 
Gabe ran {well, drove rather, since it was raining} down the street to the store and stocked up on soup.  He picked up a few cartons of Imagine tomato soup, which turned out to be the yummiest {and vegan!} tomato soup we have ever eaten.  He added his usual dashes of Tabasco and chopped fresh green onions to the soup, and for the sandwiches used earth balance butter on the whole wheat bread slices and daiya cheddar style cheese, which melted beautifully on the cast iron skillet.  Like so many other vegans, I am now singing the praises of daiya cheese!  I'm not kidding when I say this 'cheese' truly tastes like real sharp cheddar cheese.  And, you should trust my palette, because it is very discerning. 

This is one of our favorite cold weather meals, and luckily all these yummy brands can be found at our local markets.  Sorry Tillamook, but you've got some competition.  And Campbell's, you don't stand a chance.

We look forward to grilling some daiya-wiches for our friends and family this season...and seeing if they can taste the difference.

What is your favorite cold weather vegan meal?

{photo sources: 1, 2, 3, 4}

recipe: mmm...Brussels sprouts...

Last week I promised I would share with you the veg treats I made for our annual Halloween party.  Since I just spent the last couple hours putting together a full-on-party-post on my other blog, I am just going to link it for you to check out in your spare time.  Here.

I will however share with you a quick veg recipe I whipped up today for lunch.  Oh man.  So yummy.  Let's call it Lemony Brussely Brussels Sprouts.

Lemony Brussely Brussels Sprouts
serves 2

1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2T safflower oil
1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced
few splashes of sparkling water
few dashes of Lawry's garlic salt {the only kind we buy}
freshly ground black peppercorns
splash balsamic vinegar

1.  Heat safflower oil in skillet over medium heat and add onions.
2.  While onions are sauteing, slice the sprouts in half, discarding the base and any non-pretty outer leaves.
3.  Stir the onions.  You want them to caramelize.
4.  Add the sprouts to the pan of caramelizing onions and add the lemon zest and juice, and the Lawry's and pepper.  Stir and flip.
5.  Turn up the heat and leave the sprouts alone for a minute, allowing them to brown.
6.  Add a splash of sparkling water {or tap water; I just happened to be drinking a sparkling water while I was cooking} and scrape the bottom of the skillet, releasing the brown bits.
7.  Add a little more water and cover the skillet with a lid, allowing the sprouts to steam so they cook all the way through.
8.  Oh my gosh, they are so cute!  These adorable tiny baby cabbages...
9.  Stir some more and stab one of the bigger sprout halves with a fork to see if they are ready.  They shouldn't be too hard to stab, but they shouldn't be mushy either.
10.  Spoon into individual bowls and drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.  Serve warm.
11.  Indulge.

I snapped a quick photo before Gabe + I polished off our bowls.

Have a fab weekend!

makeup links

I have been MIA from Blogland as of late, planning and prepping for our annual Halloween party, which is this Friday. I've got some vegan treats on the menu that I promise to share afterward.  In the meantime, I wanted to share some fun links I've come across in the past week or so. 

Cassi shares her story...no, I'm not writing in the third person

Gas is not only a natural part of life, it is definitely part of a plant-based diet...all those beans...one natural cure: peppermint tea

Find other vegans in your area...become friends...swap ideas + stories...meetup! I did.

Sixteen miles is not too far to drive for an all-vegan-menu...might not make the round-trip during my short lunch hour though

This dude knows his stuff...a really great resource, especially for us beginners

Halloween is by far my favorite time of year.  Gabriel and I go all-out: DIY decorations, costumes, party menu, gifts + favors, etc.  DIY is so much more rewarding any way you look at it.

HaPpY HaLlOwEen, everyone!

Grubbing on some homemade kale chips while assembling the party favors...I promise to explain the TP rolls in the next post.

i am a crazy list-maker

And yes, I often create a pros + cons list for every significant decision I make.  It works for me.  Especially when I am flooded with ideas on a particular subject matter, I need to get everything down on paper and out of my brain before I suffer an aneurysm.  So, when the idea struck me to adopt Alicia's the kind diet, I grabbed a notepad and began scribbling.  Here's what I filled the page with before returning to the day's duties.

Super-lucky for me, I can cross off that first listed potential roadblock.  Gabe is just as excited as I am to embark on this vegan voyage!  Last night I took him to a local veg restaurant, Andy Nguyen's, and "presented" my plan to him over an incredibly delicious meal.  We swapped ideas, supportive words, and agreed this was not an overnight transformation, all while devouring Andy's Ultimate Buddha Nature and Awakening Mind Chow Fun dishes, sipping two pots of hot tea, then finishing with the Banana Mochi dessert.  Oh yeah. I could eat like this every day.

We discussed the best immediate plan of action for dealing with the foods we currently have in our fridge and pantry.  We knew there was no meat/poultry in our fridge or freezer, so already we were off to a great start.  We do, however, have butter, eggs, milk, half + half, milk chocolate, flour tortillas, honey, white sugar, white pasta, white flour, and a few more things with which we still need to deal.  After dinner, it was too late to do any grocery shopping, so when we got home we surveyed our stock and decided for breakfast we would have oatmeal made with water and seasoned only with cinnamon.  

This morning, he handed me a warm bowl with a mound of steaming oatmeal bronzed by the ground cinnamon, and we dug in.  Hmm. Kinda bland, we thought.  So, Gabe checked our pantry again and found a pouch of dried wild blueberries. They added the perfect natural sweetness and texture the oatmeal had been lacking.  It was now yummy.  We did, admittedly, have half + half in our coffee because, well, we didn't want the rest of the carton to go to waste.  This is going to be a transition that will take patience and flexibility.  

Let the journey begin!