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. :)

vegan dinner inspired by Jamie Oliver

I picked up the April 2011 issue of Better Homes and Garden magazine the other day while waiting in line at the grocery store, and I am so glad I did!  Not only did I find some really beautiful Spring blooms for hubby to plant in the yard {I have a black thumb}, but they did an awesome story on Jamie Oliver.  He shared a super user-friendly diagram of an easy garden setup--for hubby to base this year's garden plan off of--along with a few yummy recipes.  I made his Braised Peas with Scallions and Lettuce dish, and paired it with a late winter vegetable hash I thought up, using ingredients I am not all that familiar with...and both turned out sooo delicious.  Hence, I am sharing both recipes with you. :)

Braised Peas with Scallions and Lettuce
Jamie Oliver for BH&G mag

a pat of butter (+/- 1 tsp)
olive oil
6  scallions, trimmed, outer leaves discarded, and finely sliced
1  head romaine lettuce, washed and sliced
2  16-oz pkg. frozen peas
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1  heaping tsp. all-purpose flour
1  to 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
a few sprigs fresh mint
juice from half of a lemon
extra virgin olive oil

1. Melt butter in medium skillet over med heat. Add about 1 T olive oil and scallions. Cook for a few minutes until scallions are softened.
2. Meanwhile, set a small handful of sliced lettuce aside. Turn heat up and add peas and rest of lettuce. Season with sea salt and pepper.
3. Cook for 1 minute, then sprinkle in the flour and stir until everything is coated.
4. Slowly pour in the stock, then cover and turn the heat up to high.
5. Cook for 4 minutes or until peas are tender.
6. Taste and season if necessary. Sprinkle fresh mint in the pan and add the lemon juice. Stir then scatter reserved fresh lettuce over top and serve immediately with a tiny drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Winter Roasted Vegetable Hash

sweet potato, washed, peeled and chopped
parsnips, washed, peeled and chopped
asparagus, washed and chopped into 2" pieces
whole shallot, skin still on
olive oil
white wine vinegar
fresh Italian parsley
KS&P

Preheat oven to 400°. Toss all veggies in olive oil and season with KS&P.  Roast veggies, turning once, for roughly 20 minutes.  Remove veggies from oven and carefully take off and discard the shallot's skin.  Combine all veggies in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh parsley, and season with more KS&P to taste.  Drizzle desired amount of white wine vinegar to taste (about  1 1/2 T) and serve warm.

Both dishes were excellent the next day, warm or cold.  My new favorite thing to do is roast whole shallot bulbs in the oven.  I can't wait to try them on the grill this summer.  They are so yummy when roasted.  And parsnips?? How am I only just now discovering them? I love roasted parsnips!

The pea dish leftovers were transformed into a penne pasta dish for lunch a couple days later, and I added partially stale baguette bread chunks to the veg hash the night I made it, adding a little more olive oil and vinegar, to create a filling panzanella-esque dish for lunch the following day.  If you try making either of these, please let me know how it turns out for you.  And share your version if you change it up, please! :)

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!

vegan cheese: a miss.

Yesterday for lunch, I made tomato soup with Tabasco and fresh arugula, and paired it with a grilled 'cheese' sandwich.  The weather called for such a comforting meal, and my hour-long lunch called for a quick and easy prep.  I made a somewhat large pot of tomato soup so that I would have a quick lunch to nuke for a couple of days, but I wasn't terribly hungry so I only made half a sandwich.  I used the super-yummy {I'll get the name for you later} vegan bread, and the not-so-yummy Soy~Sation mozzarella.

I sliced a few thin strips off of the block and arranged them on the bread, then placed the open faced sandwich in the hot skillet.  After a few minutes, even with a lid on the skillet, I noticed the 'cheese' had not even begun to melt, but the bread was browning.  I folded the sandwich in half and turned down the heat a bit.  When the bread was bordering burnt, I decided to remove the sandwich from the skillet. 

I sat at the table with my large mug of hot tomato soup and my grilled half sandwich and dug in.  The soup instantly warmed me.  I had to give myself kudos for adding the arugula for its peppery spice and greenery.  It was delicious.

Next, I bit into my sandwich.
 
I'll admit I was naive to think it would actually taste like real cheese.  With all of our technology, is that too much to ask?? It looked like cheese.  It sliced like cheese.  It even felt like cheese.  But the similarities end there.  It tasted gross, to put it bluntly. 

When I began this post, I searched the manufacturer's website simply for an image to use as a visual.  What I found in addition to said image was off-putting.  Reading the ingredients list {something I usually always do before I purchase an item}, I noticed it contained casein, a milk protein.  According to wikipedia:

Casein is not coagulated by heat. 

It is precipitated by acids and by rennet enzymes, 

a proteolytic enzyme typically 

obtained from the stomachs of calves.

Not only does this explain why the 'cheese' didn't melt when I grilled the sandwich, but it also means this product is not vegan. 

Gabriel found it in the designated vegan corner of the refrigerated section at Whole Foods, so I am guessing he didn't think to read the back label.  The thought had not occurred to me either.  I believe I was discovering the presence of eggs in a package of soy sausages, incorrectly labeled vegan, at the same time he was grabbing the mozzarella off the shelf.

Live and learn {then read the label!} is the lesson I take away from this experience.  I read a recommendation on another 'cheese' from a vegan blogger yesterday, who claims it tastes and melts like real cheese, so I am excited to try it.  

Has anyone else tried this cheese?  Your thoughts?

diy veg broth

So, I keep saying I am going to make my own vegetable broth, but I wasn't absolutely convinced I should until I read this. 

This talented vegan chef shares really helpful advice {along with some icky store-bought-taste-test results} on making your own batch at home.  Although we don't waste vegetables now in our home, as everything goes into the composting pile, making our own broth would be one more use of the veggies before discarding. 

I'm really excited to do this!  I'm even planning on blocking out my Friday night to make a batch. 

That's right, I said Friday night...I'm a homebody. 

Do you have a favorite combo for your homemade veg broth?  Please share!  I'll share my results too after I make it. 

Have a great week!

{image source 1}