aiyagriculture

day 2

2010-11-30T09:55:00.004-05:00

it is clearly the second day of school. i am caught up with studying, and by 7:30am i had made dinner. trust me, this won't last long.

sleepless in phoenix

2010-11-26T01:55:00.010-05:00

i made the mistake of having my first cup of coffee in nearly 2 weeks, so here are some pictures of food.

tacos on the porch in may

sushi in the living room, probably also from may

high fire danger in the prescott national forest means dinner is cooked over our camping "stove" (july, i think)

soy dogs in the blanket at the ten-x campground, near the grand canyon (june)

cabbage, tofu, walnuts, and other stuff (july)

that's about all the pictures i can find, food-wise. the rest of the collection mostly involves pictures of me doing silly things. joe loves to pull out the camera at opportune times...such as when i'm sleeping with a giant orange helmet on, wearing a Trader Joe's bag over my head, or studying with my hood tied so tightly only my eyes are showing. you know, the kind of pictures no one is interested in seeing.

tempeh scramble

2010-03-29T15:12:00.002-04:00

tempeh, kale, onions, peppers!

pizza (for breakfast)

2010-03-20T13:01:00.002-04:00

in a break from our usual saturday morning fare of scrambles and pancakes, we made a pizza for breakfast a few weeks ago. we started by oiling a crust and sprinkling garlic power around the edge. then we loaded it up with marinara, onions, mushrooms, olives, yellow and red roasted peppers, and crumbled seasoned tempeh. before eating it, we drizzled a bit of vegan ranch on top. dig in, fork required.

seitan portobello stroganoff

2010-03-17T07:08:00.004-04:00

this dish is fairly time consuming, so we made it on a saturday evening. it was well worth the time spent, and the leftovers for our lunches were incredible. the recipe comes from vegan with a vengeance.

chili lime tofu

2010-03-13T09:53:00.003-05:00

we've made this before, and i thought i had posted it. apparently not. this chili lime tofu is from vegan yum yum. dry-fried tofu with a spicy sweet glaze. here we served it on millet. the dry-frying changes the texture of the tofu into a firmer, chewier taste. then the glaze flavors it perfectly on its crispier outside. this recipe is really fast and easy once you have your tofu dry-fried, which is joe's job, anyway.

afternoon baking

2010-03-09T15:13:00.003-05:00

these babies are fresh out of the oven. mexican chocolate snicker doodles from the new-ish cookie book by isa.

chocolatey. chewy. spicy. sugary. yummy.

kale chips

2010-03-03T20:48:00.002-05:00

these chips are really tasty and very quick to make. just wash and tear up some kale and toss it with olive oil and sea salt. bake the kale for 10-15 minutes at 350° until crispy. yum!

cashew cheese ball with socca

2010-02-24T19:20:00.004-05:00

this was our first foray into the world of homemade nut cheeses. it worked really well and was really easy, too (especially since it was made while i was at work). the socca recipe is from david lebovitz's blog; it's a gluten-free chickpea pancake that is broiled to be kind of crispy.

on another note, i also loved his post about truffle hunting.

cocoa & beet cake with coconut milk cream

2010-02-20T16:58:00.002-05:00

caesar salad

2010-02-18T18:43:00.000-05:00

barley risotto

2010-02-17T19:08:00.000-05:00

nyc black & whites

2010-02-15T21:27:00.001-05:00

costa rica

2010-01-09T12:12:00.001-05:00

arenal volcano

our very own porch/diorama

family eating breakfast.
beans & rice, fried plantains, potatoes, fresh fruit

enjoying some cacique sours in the hot pool

manuel antonio

dinner at la hacienda

coconut milk curry

pasta with basil, pine nuts, and sundried tomatoes

salsipuedes

peter, owen, mom, dad, anne, grandma, meenum, joe, and dirk waiting for lunch
they have no idea it's going to be their best lunch ever

what a chalupa!

evening view from the salsipuedes deck

imperial on the beach - pura vida!

minestrone

2010-01-09T10:57:00.003-05:00

pesto

2009-10-10T10:02:00.006-04:00

when the basil was bountiful at the market, we picked up a bunch to make vegan pesto. we had plenty of basil for two batches and froze most of it. mom recommended that we use an ice cube tray, which has worked out perfectly. the only trouble is, we're using it up way too fast. our stock will never last us until next summer.

vegan pesto
· 1 1/2 cups fresh basil
· 1/3 cup olive oil
· 1/2 cup each pine nuts & walnuts
· 5 cloves garlic
· 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
· 3/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

preparation
combine all ingredients in a food processor until nuts are ground. pesto should still have texture and not be completely smooth. too easy!

2009-09-13T13:37:00.002-04:00

this dinner was two veganomicon recipes on one plate. chickpea quinoa pilaf with broiled tofu. the tofu was quite simple, but very good.

the next day, the left over tofu showed up as cold sandwiches for lunch.

i have nothing witty to say about this right now. i'm being pressed to post, so there is no humor to be had. maybe i can find a funnier food in my photo library.

banana muffins

2009-07-25T12:23:00.004-04:00

i had some bananas that over ripened very quickly, so i took the opportunity to try out the lower fat banana bread recipe in veganomicon. to save time, i made muffins instead. needless to say, they were perfectly delicious.

onions and radishes

2009-07-20T18:52:00.002-04:00

i post this just to show that i am being a good photo student and doing my homework, even at the farmer's market. i had to quick snap this one because it's crowded in small tunnel that is the fulton market.

tots and veggies

2009-07-20T18:32:00.002-04:00

if there can be any advantages to a cool summer, one might be that you can cook non-summer foods if you feel like it. who would normally want their oven on for 60 minutes in a no a/c apartment in july? maybe people in the southern hemisphere.

one of the most exciting parts of this tater tot casserole was the cream of mushroom soup that is made in the process. it got us thinking of ideas for holiday cooking to easily veganize some classics.

summer pies

2009-07-19T20:21:00.002-04:00

rhubarb banana pie

mom arens modified a rhubarb pie recipe to veganize it, substituting banana for the eggs. it worked like a charm. she gave me the recipe, so i'll find it and post it here soon.

strawberry pie

we went strawberry picking with dad and owen in montague and turned many strawberries into jam, but we saved some to make a vegan strawberry pie. this recipe uses cornstarch to thicken up a strawberry and sugar glaze. add a little soyatoo and you're all set.

another chickpea casserole

2009-06-19T19:54:00.005-04:00

we made this chickpea casserole so long ago that i don't remember where i found the recipe or much about it, really. from the picture, i can guess that it contains some or all of the following:

chickpeas (actually, i know that from the title)
brown rice
some sort of tomatoes
onions (?)
spices

i do remember that it has tahini in it, to make it creamy, and some lemon juice for tanginess. we had to whisk up equal parts tahini and water (2 T?) to make a fluffy, creamy mixture. when cooler weather rolls around again, i'm going to wish i had this recipe, so maybe i'll find it again then.

a sea of sushi

2009-06-15T21:41:00.003-04:00

sushi x 75 -- need i say more?

pad thai

2009-06-06T20:18:00.002-04:00

last week, joe decided he needed something a little different, so he got all the ingredients for pad thai while i was working. using isa's version from vegan with a vengeance, he whipped up a delightful dinner for us in no time.

kitchen cart

2009-05-31T12:12:00.001-04:00

this isn't food, but it's terribly cute! as joe says, this cart cost us "the price of a burrito," so being a kitchen item and priced in food terms, the cart makes the blog.

butterfinger smoothie

2009-05-30T21:37:00.005-04:00

in brooklyn, foodswings serves up a vegan butterfinger smoothie. this one is just as delicious and probably healthier because a banana and soy milk are subbed for the soy chocolate ice cream. it's also incredibly easy to make.

makes 2-3 servings

ingredients:
10 large ice cubes
1 cup plain or chocolate soy milk
3 T hershey's syrup, if using plain soy milk
1 med/large ripe banana
2 T natural peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
chick-o-sticks

start with just the ice in the blender (we've found this is the only way to ensure it all gets crushed up) and pulse it until all the ice is crushed. then add all the ingredients, saving some of the chick-o-sticks. blend it all until smooth then add more chick-o-sticks and blend briefly.

also delicious is the simpler smoothie of banana, chocolate soy milk and ice. yum!

let him eat cake

2009-05-27T20:20:00.004-04:00

what's the best part about graduating after working hard for your bfa for 5 years? cake, of course! in honor of the event, dad put the calvin knight atop a vegan cake. it was delish!

bruschetta

2009-04-17T12:09:00.004-04:00

there is not much to say about this one, except DELICIOUS. i can't wait until summer produces some fresh heirloom tomatoes to top our toast with.

our basil plant, grown with love

tasty appetizer or dinner, whichever you please

snobby joes

2009-04-06T18:34:00.003-04:00

this sloppy joe recipe is from veganomicon using lentils instead of any kind of fake meat. along with the lentils, there is green pepper, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, and spices. these are very easy to make and reheat well for multiple uses.

chickpea broccoli casserole

2009-04-05T13:11:00.000-04:00

this recipe comes from vegan with a vengeance. it is very light on the spices, so the flavors are very simple. we put the casserole into two smaller dishes and froze one. hopefully it will fare well when we decide to cook the other half. it's probably about time you own your own copy of vwav, so i'm not going to post the recipe here.

quesadillas

2009-04-04T16:13:00.001-04:00

joe and i thought these quesadillas were delicious. we found the sauce to be a tasty substitute to cheese, but it surely didn't taste like cheese. these vegan quesadillas are probably best suited to vegans.

here's how to make them:

ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup plain soy milk
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon stoneground mustard
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
(or just whichever of the spices you have on hand)

2 tablespoons salsa
tortillas
optional fillings: mushrooms, peppers, onions (all pre-sauteed)

put all sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. pour the mixture into a medium non-stick saucepan, add the salsa, and stir as you bring to a boil. reduce heat and continue to cook, stirring, for at least 2 minutes after boiling. sauce should be thick and smooth.

heat a large, non-stick skillet. place 1 tortilla in the skillet and spread some of the "cheese" over the tortilla. add other toppings on top of the cheese. cover with another tortilla and cook for a minute or two, until the bottom tortilla is golden browned. flip the whole thing over and cook until the bottom tortilla has browned. remove from pan and slice into quarters. serve with additional salsa.

roasted vegetable salad

2009-02-21T10:22:00.002-05:00

cute casserole

2009-02-19T19:12:00.002-05:00

for dinner tonight, i made the cutest casserole on the block. really, the only thing that made it cute was the world's greatest pyrex to cook it in.

the casserole was called something about being layered and mexican and vegan. it was nutritious and filling (mom's main criteria) as well as delish. i'd make it again, but there are still plenty of leftovers to enjoy for the next couple of days.

millet

2009-02-15T20:24:00.002-05:00

for lunch yesterday, we made up a millet stir fry kind of thing. we cooked the millet then added it to some cooking onions and garlic. then we added halved grape tomatoes (squish them while cooking to get some juices into the flavor), frozen peas, and some soy sauce. mom taught us how to make this delightful dish over the holidays, and the addition of tomatoes made it even more festive!

valentine cookies

2009-02-15T11:19:00.003-05:00

for valentines day i made up a batch of heart shaped chocolate chip cookies. i veganized the toll house recipe with willow run margarine, corn starch for the eggs (2T+2T water=1 egg), and ghirardelli semisweet chips. before baking, i formed the dough into little hearts.

new york bagels

2009-02-14T13:01:00.004-05:00

bagel world was one of our favorites. saturday morning bagels became our brooklyn tradition. i even learned to like the vegan cream cheeses!

our typical route, along the residential streets

choices, choices

thrilled to have a bagel (and no coat in november)

vegan junk

2009-02-14T12:40:00.004-05:00

now that i have a camera again, i was able to get my old pictures loaded. here is some vegan junk food from foodswings in brooklyn. vegans, too, need our occasional fast food fix.

"chicken" wings with fries and vegan bleu cheese dressing

chick'n bac'n ranch salad

butterfinger shake - chocolate soy ice cream with chico-stick candies

things you would see if i had a camera...

2009-02-02T16:37:00.002-05:00

once again, my camera is being repaired. it's been at the shop since christmas, which is quite maddening. here are some of the things you would have seen if my nikon wasn't always breaking.

- black bean soup
- lentil chili (made with karis for the chili cookoff)
- french toast
- dry-fried tofu with quinoa and some sort of fantastic sauce
- bbq tofu pizza
- peanut sauce with tofu and broccoli
- lentil soup

hopefully an exchange for my camera will be approved. then i can post pictures of these and other things without further interruption in service.

broccoli almond seitan

2008-12-15T10:23:00.001-05:00

keen on quinoa

2008-12-01T22:32:00.004-05:00

this quinoa salad was nutritious and filling. the added bonus is that it was also delicious and easy to make. i'll tell you what i did, so you don't have to bother with extra nonsense of the real recipe.

the quinoa

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 cups cold water

1/2 tsp salt

the others

1/2 or more of a hot pepper, minced

2 or more cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 of a green pepper, sliced or diced

1/2 of another color pepper, sliced or diced

1 tsp cumin

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 or more handfuls of cherry tomatoes, sliced

2 or more scallions, sliced

the dressing

2 tbsp lime juice, fresh

1/4 cup olive oil

a little cilantro (i use dried because i don't like cilantro)

salt & pepper to taste

a pinch of cayenne or chili powder

to make the quinoa

soak it in cold water for a while to remove the bitterness (1/2 hour was recommended, but who has that kind of time?). rinse it a few times and put it back in the pot. add 1 1/2 cups cold water and the salt. bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. when it is finished, set it aside to cool a bit.

the salad

saute the garlic and hot pepper in oil until the garlic browns a bit. then add the bell peppers and cumin. saute for a few minutes.

in a bowl, stir up the dressing ingredients. check the flavor for necessary adjusting.

mix everything in a large bowl, adding the quinoa last so you can get the amount that is right for you.

the eating

serve it hot or cold. it would probably make a great burrito stuffer, but we ate it with chips and salsa. feel free to try some guacamole or margaritas or something else exciting on the side as well.

thanksgiving

2008-11-30T21:50:00.004-05:00

the thanksgiving 2008 rundown: salad with squash, wild mushrooms, apple, and homemade dressing, roasted brussel sprouts, corn, garlic mashed redskins, chickpea cutlets, brown gravy, and field roast. paired with pacifico, trader joe's wine, and peanut butter chocolate pie, this was an all-out fantastic meal.

ingredients piled high in anticipation.

introducing.....the field roast!

delicious pie that's a cinch to make.

blend/process 1/2 C melted chocolate chips, 1/2 C creamy peanutbutter, and 1 package of mori-nu silken tofu. then put it in a pie crust & chill.

time to give thanks, relax and enjoy.

something dutch (apparently)

2008-11-11T20:11:00.003-05:00

joe claims this dish to be a dutch dish. i've never heard of it, so i can't say for sure. we put some yves ground turkey onto a baguette with some mushroom gravy. preface it with a salad, throw it next to a side of garlic mashed potatoes and corn, and you've got yourself a true meat and potatoes meal.

vegans vote for obama

2008-11-11T19:26:00.004-05:00

the night of the long-awaited election, a few vegans in brooklyn enjoyed some black bean burgers and beer. we all voted yes for the burgers, but the race was on between sierra nevada pale ale (obama) and budweiser (mccain). after florida did two counts of the ballots (no kidding), obama was the winner.

the vegans were pleased to elect a vp who won't kill game from a chopper, and they were also pleased that california passed proposal 2, banning gestation crates, battery cages, and the like.

vegans in the kitchen making difficult decisions about toppings and candidates and the like.

election center 2008. l to r: various news sites, cnn.com live, cnn map

oops!

2008-11-06T21:47:00.004-05:00

i guess i have turned into a bad blogger. an entire month has elapsed without an update. now i have a few posts built up, but not as many as you would think. this kitchen has seen many nights of rice and beans or other simple fare. we've also had two families come to visit, which meant a lot of vegan nights out (which were all fantastic, of course).

to whet your appetite for me perhaps blogging again, here is a picture of some fancier than normal rice and beans that were consumed quite some time ago. (ok, you will have to excuse the strange looking guac there, but we didn't have any sort of liquid to add, except salsa. kind of pathetic, i know)

magical mystery tacos?

2008-09-27T09:15:00.005-04:00

according to the recipe i found, these are linda mccartney's tofu tacos. whether that's true or not, they were easy to make and tasted great.

pineapple lentils

2008-09-24T20:38:00.006-04:00

these little lentils cooked themselves on saturday afternoon. all the more time to fold laundry!

note: i used only 2 cups of dried lentils and 5 cups of water. i kept everything else the same. i know the ingredients sound pretty bland, but this does taste quite nice. it's a great reprieve from taste bud overload.

cupcake in a pod!

2008-09-23T20:46:00.004-04:00

i haven't even eaten this yet, but it's too cute to not love. it's such a sweet little cupcake pod. it's from 'snice in brooklyn (where we also enjoyed a triple decker club and sesame chicken wrap).

brooklyn pancakes

2008-09-23T18:40:00.006-04:00

years ago, pancakes and i had a falling out on the side of a highway in rhode island. we have since resolved our issues and begun loving each other again. these pancakes come from vegan with a vengeance, which was born and bred in brooklyn. isa always knows what she's doing, so, of course, these are fantastic. the only problem is that joe won't let me eat them every day, even though i ask at least that often.

tempeh chicken salad

2008-09-21T19:51:00.004-04:00

joe is constantly seeking out the best soy dogs and vegan chicken salad. i found a recipe online and modified it a bit to get the right taste. my recipe is below.

tempeh chicken salad

1 large block of tempeh

3/4 C vegan mayo

1 long celery

small onion, chopped

2 t mustard

3 t soy sauce or braggs

1 clove garlic, minced

boil a small pot of water and boil the tempeh for 10 minutes. when cool enough, dice the tempeh into very small bits. mix together all the ingredients well.

tofu stir fry

2008-09-21T19:42:00.002-04:00

this stir fry was great, and it whipped up in just a couple of minutes. our brooklyn grocery store has tons of vegan options (5 kinds of tempeh, 2 brands of tofu, hundreds of soy dogs), so we bought a package of teriyaki marinaded tofu cutlets. they were easy to work with because no pressing was required to get the right texture.

the tofu even comes with char lines!

i now have a small kitchen.

2008-09-10T13:12:00.005-04:00

one of the things missing from our tiny kitchen is a blender or food processor, so i have been compiling a list of things i wish i could eat but am restricted from making. i'm sure this list will turn out to be far from complete, but these are just the things i've come up with so far.

philly (minus the cheesesteak)

2008-09-09T09:10:00.005-04:00

while we were waiting for our chinatown bus to take us from philadelphia to new york, we went into a large market and found a vegetarian cafe, the basic 4. needless to say, we were thrilled to have an opportunity for a vegan fast-food style breakfast. we had a tofu scramble sandwich, home fries, and a mango smoothie.

our food came wrapped in newsprint! that's rare for vegan fare.

tofu scramble sandwich

home fries with onions, peppers, and cayenne

mango smoothie

other appetizer-y things.

2008-09-04T15:36:00.008-04:00

when jason and holli came, we also made some potato wedges with chili dip, tostones (seen in the previous post), and hummus with oiled and pressed french bread.

chili dip for roasted potatoes

since i am in new york, and the cookbook containing the chili dip recipe is in michigan, here is how i would make it while winging it brooklyn style.

olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small can diced/chopped tomatoes

1 jalapeno or other hot pepper

some balsamic vinegar...?

a teeny bit of cilantro (for garnish)

s&p, to taste

in a small saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic in some olive oil for a few minutes. when the onions are soft, add the rest of the ingredients. allow the mixture to simmer for at least 5 minutes.

it seems to me that there must be some balsamic vinegar in here, but i can't remember for sure. perhaps just add 1T and hope it tastes right.

the leftover dip was really tasty when we ate it cold on those delicious pretzel cracker things.

summer soups.

2008-09-04T14:40:00.007-04:00

one weekend in august we turned a trip to the market into two wonderful summer soups. we made gazpacho and velvet corn soup. both were wonderfully cool against the august heat, and we fully enjoyed an evening with jason and holli.

many mix-ins for our gazpacho

i can't remember exactly how we made the gazpacho because we combined ideas from several recipes, but here is the recipe for the velvet corn soup, which i found at NPR online.

cold velvet corn soup

makes 4 to 6 servings
6 ears of fresh corn, husked
2 leeks, white parts only
4 cups vegetable stock
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
chopped scallions for garnish

rub the ears of corn with a towel to remove the last silk threads. cut the kernels off of the cob into a large mixing bowl. break the cobs in half and put them into a stockpot.

halve the white part of the leeks lengthwise and rinse them well. chop them coarsely and place in the stockpot. add all remaining ingredients except corn kernels. bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes.

remove corn cobs and the bay leaf and discard. add the corn kernels and simmer for 5 more minutes. using a blender on high, puree the soup in batches. (the recipe suggested to strain the soup through a sieve, but we just blended it very well and served as is.) after blending, chill the soup for at least 4 hours before serving.

mock duck.

2008-09-01T00:11:00.005-04:00

it's uncanny (seriously, no pun intended) how much this gluten seems like meat. the texture is quite convincing, and this little can of "meat" is just over a dollar. we're just careful at our oriental market to grab the least dusty and least faded can.

with a little vegetarian stir fry sauce from the same market, a mongolian duck stir-fry whips up in just a few minutes.

sushi.

2008-08-31T23:43:00.007-04:00

we had tried our hand at sushi a couple of times before this summer, but this time we decided to perfect our skills. we bought the proper rice and followed the veganomicon recipe for the filling.

tempeh, vegan mayo, sesame oil, and sriracha sauce made up our filling

pressing the rice - cover the bottom 2/3 of the nori

all the supplies are handy - fillings, rice, and water to clean off the sticky rice

ready to roll

reapplying my sandwich rolling skills with the bamboo mat

a cutco knife makes a clean cut

inside-out roll

delicious, of course

update: banana muffin recipe

2008-08-28T10:20:00.003-04:00

here is the recipe for the chocolate chip banana muffins posted earlier this summer

ingredients:

1/2 C butter

1 t vanilla

3/4 C sugar

egg replacer for 2 eggs (1 egg = 2T H2O + 2T cornstarch)

1 1/4 C flour

3/4 C oats

1 t baking soda

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 C over-ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 C vegan chocolate chips (optional, but delightful)

preparations:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each. (i also make sure to mix up the eggs with a fork while pouring to ensure all the cornstarch stays in the water).

3. in a second bowl, mix flour, oats, salt, soda, and powder.

4. add the dry mix to the wet mix in two additions.

5. add mashed bananas and mix.

6. add chocolate chips.

7. i make mine in a mini muffin tin, but either will work well. grease it and bake the batter for about 25 minutes.

marble cupcakes

2008-08-28T10:02:00.003-04:00

these little delights come from vegan cupcakes take over the world.

ginger peanut tofu salad

2008-07-19T12:44:00.003-04:00

this is one of joe's favorites. i generally prefer not to have it, but i would feel guilty hiding the recipe for him, so i still get the ingredients for it occasionally. the recipe is from the mercy for animals website.

chocolate chip banana muffins

2008-07-19T12:29:00.002-04:00

more stir-fried pasta

2008-06-28T15:00:00.001-04:00

iron

2008-06-28T14:55:00.002-04:00

who doesn't love a tofu scramble out of a new cast iron pan?

summer grilling

2008-06-28T14:44:00.003-04:00

last week we tested out our house's grill with dave and some vegan dogs and burgers. the $4 veggie rack was a worthwhile purchase at meijer, but the eco-goo lighting gel was interesting.

chips at guacamole to start

the new veggie grill rack

joe's soy dogs

vegan burger topped with the veggies and guac

market day

2008-06-28T14:37:00.004-04:00

i was pleased to find out that there is a great reward for biking to the farmer's market on a warm saturday morning. it includes strawberries and avocado reubens (and a pound of lovely asparagus to enjoy later).

all it takes is some vegan thousand island with sauerkraut and sliced avocado (having an awesome cast iron sandwich press doesn't hurt, either)

country hermitage

2008-06-23T20:26:00.001-04:00

after a great wedding with a vegan feast, joe and i headed up to the country hermitage b&b in traverse city. not only were we the only ones staying for the weekend, we were treated to fabulous vegan breakfasts both mornings.

day one

fruit parfait with apples, kiwi, walnuts, dried fruits, in a sweet glaze topped with vanilla soy yogurt and cranberry granola

fluffy blueberry pancakes with soy sausage and melon

day two

vanilla soy and banana smoothie that tasted like liquified banana bread (in the best possible way)

pan-fried tofu topped with portobellos and bell peppers with hash browns and warm cornbread muffins

if you're looking for a great place to stay, pat and lynn will make you completely comfortable and cater to your dietary desires.

stir-fry pasta with tempeh

2008-06-08T19:08:00.003-04:00

this is another old one - a quick saturday afternoon dinner before work. i can't remember exactly how to make it, but it started with some tempeh and left-over pasta. after that it was just some stir-frying with olive oil, braggs, wine, and spices -- delightful.

coconut milk curry

2008-06-08T19:03:00.004-04:00

unfortunately, i don't have any pictures of this one with my new camera. it's very tasty, even if it doesn't look as pretty.

banana oatmeal raisin waffles

2008-06-08T15:26:00.003-04:00

the joy of owning a waffle maker and vegan with a vengeance.

food fight

2008-05-25T14:49:00.004-04:00

actually it's a different game. i got tagged by anne, so i'm playing the game. i'll try to do as she suggested and make mine about food.

I am: not hungry (yet).
I know: that sirracha and braggs add a kick of flavor to anything.
I want: my new pans!
I wish: i wasn't out of braggs and soy milk.
I hate: too much cilantro or ginger.
I miss: having a mixer that works.
I fear: using a spatula.
I feel: heat in my fingertips when i'm using them instead of a spatula.
I hear: a mini fridge whirring.
I smell: residual onion from lunch.
I crave: brownies.
I search: for recipes often.
I regret: produce gone bad.
I love: my new camera.
I ache: in the stomach from too much or too little food.
I care: about how my ingredients look on the shelf.
I always: add red wine to my tomato sauces.
I am not: going to remember to get flour unless i write it down.
I believe: tangelos are the new orange.
I dance: occasionally, but not often about food.
I sing: if i'm listening to music in the kitchen.
I cry: when i cut an onion with a serrated blade.
I fight: hunger.
I write: recipes on my typewriter.
I win: friends with my sweets.
I lose: water from my tofu.
I never: eat meat eggs and dairy.
I confuse: my jars of baking powder and baking soda.
I am scared: of opening the oven early when baking.
I need: a whisk.
I am happy about: the farmers market.
I hope: my herbs grow.

now that i made it through that list, i'm going to tag karis because she hasn't posted in a while.

cause & effect

2008-05-24T19:13:00.004-04:00

cause: new camera purchased with graduation gifts and tax refunds

effect: many more food pictures under the excuse of "practicing"

rotini and asparagus pasta salad

chickpea cutlets waiting to become sandwiches

asparagus, orange tomato, green onion, and red pepper for a salad

tofu and broccoli to toss with peanut sauce

early summer eating

2008-05-24T19:04:00.004-04:00

after a long bike ride, a refreshing "vern ehlers" hits the spot

it gets even better when you pair it with a chickpea sandwich with rotini and asparagus salad

peanut sauce with tofu and broccoli

2008-05-24T18:47:00.003-04:00

nothing new

2008-04-24T21:13:00.004-04:00

it's been a slow food week. well actually two weeks. that doesn't mean that it hasn't been enjoyable. i've been preparing things that have already been blogged about, like chickpea cutlets and black bean burgers on the grill. hopefully i'll find some time soon to find some new recipes to try out, but for now, here's some pictures of some great stir-frys that i haven't shown yet.

ginger soy stir-fry with jasmine rice and hand-rolled veggie spring rolls.

soy and teriyaki stir-fry with jasmine rice and sweet and sour tempeh.

simple tofu

2008-04-10T21:01:00.006-04:00

even before i was vegetarian, joe and i learned that cooking tofu isn't necessarily easy. in fact, our first attempt was quite gross. in order to start enjoying tofu, vegan with a vengeance has a recipe that is sure to work.

pressing the tofu takes out some of its moisture, improving its texture a bit. to do so, place your slices of tofu between kitchen towels or paper towels and set some flat heavy things on it (i do a 9x13 pyrex loaded with anything with some heft). press it for a while...an hour is great but 20-30 minutes will surely do the trick. then proceed with your recipe making. you could even press the tofu the previous day to save time when cooking.

try your baked tofu alongside some potatoes and a salad, or have it cold on a sandwich piled with veggies. for breakfast, i warmed some up for a tofu mcmuffin with spinach.

ethiopian night

2008-04-09T15:02:00.004-04:00

wash your hands in the rose petal water.

grab some injera.

dig into some ethiopian food.

(disclaimer: it helps if you've got people like juan, laura, joe, and karis manning/womanning the kitchens, so maybe you should locate them before you try to enjoy this delicious food.)

breakfast (for dinner)

2008-04-09T00:22:00.005-04:00

sunday night's dinner was a cooking frenzy that started the week off right with a well rounded meal. joe, dave, and i enjoyed a tofu scramble, hash browns, and van's blueberry waffles.

my recipe card for a tofu scramble seems to be missing right now (joe just whips it up from memory), but if i locate it, i'll be sure to post it. we just used hash browns from d&w and got the van's organic waffles there too.

tofu scramble: tofu, onions, garlic, red pepper, spinach, nutritional yeast, spices (and possibly some tricks up joe's sleeve)

now that it's spring, i've started composting again (thanks to dave's monitoring of my organic waste situation). i'm not sure that i'm doing it properly - i'm just collecting my produce waste in a small corner of the yard. maybe nothing will come of it. any tips on composting?

springtime hobo dinners

2008-04-06T12:08:00.005-04:00

after a 2.5 hour bike tour of grand rapids, one of the better ways to spend an evening is around the fire pit. we threw together some veggies in foil to take care of our hunger and take advantage of the spring weather.

joe points out the urban community farm on the way home from downtown.

the veggies take the heat in their little pouches.

potatoes, carrots, corn, peas, asparagus, jalapeno, red pepper, onion
the secret ingredients? some toasted sesame oil and just a tiny splash of braggs

andrew, dave, and joe dig in, "veggie hobo" style.

black bean burgers (and cookies!)

2008-04-03T20:18:00.005-04:00

you may wonder if i ever get sick of burgers, but it's not possible. there are too many kinds...lentil, boca, portobello, black bean. plus they're a great excuse to stop and pick up some french fries. and for dessert, you ask? cookie monsters, of course. a little rice dream and chocolate syrup on a homemade cookie, and you're all set.

my notes on the burger recipe: it took about 3/4 of a cup of bread crumbs to take up enough of the moisture to make the burgers feasible. also, i think i bought the wrong stuff for the chili sauce...i came home with a 4 oz can of green chilies (that worked fine). for each burger, i scooped up 1/3 cup of the mixture, so i will probably get 6-7 burgers out of a batch, rather than 4. finally, i didn't find them spicy. your palate might be different, but i wouldn't be too afraid of the spices in there.

lentil burgers

2008-03-30T18:40:00.006-04:00

you may have received a recipe for these burgers in the mail. if you can't find canned lentils, which my d&w only started carrying recently, you can get some dried lentils and use 2 cooked cups.

here's a microlentil burger that joe made me a while ago. it's a little blurry, but still just as cute.

pancakes

2008-03-28T14:18:00.007-04:00

the best part about these pancakes is that you likely have the ingredients on hand already. that makes an impromptu pancake meal very possible.

just watch for the bubbles to form and be sure to spray the pan between each pancake. if you're feeling really ambitious, add something into the batter (blueberries/choc chips) or make a tofu scramble to keep salt cravings at bay. even better, make some tempeh bacon and eat that on toast. whatever you do, just enjoy some easy pancakes.

black bean & mango salsa

2008-03-28T13:50:00.006-04:00

when avocados and mangos go on 10 for 10 at meijer, it's surely a week for salsas and dips. today's lunch was guacamole and this black bean and mango salsa. i adjusted a recipe i found to include the foods i have on hand right now.

just mix all the ingredients and let the salad rest in the fridge for some flavor melding time

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 mango, diced into little pieces

2 green onions, sliced end to end

1/2 red pepper, diced into small pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

lime juice, to taste (i used quite a bit)

a bit of cilantro (i used dried)

salt & pepper

cayenne (because my jalapeno went missing)

dip this alongside of some guac on you chip for extra delight.

fEASTER

2008-03-26T23:26:00.004-04:00

i love to use a holiday to show off the abundance of the vegan diet (and enjoy some delicious food). joe's masterfully prepared plate, in clockwise order from 12:00, shows off bread spread with earth balance, chickpea cutlets from veganomicon, roasted roots (made by grandma judy), corn, bean salad, and garlic mashed potatoes with cashew gravy.

lentil chili

2008-03-23T22:02:00.003-04:00

with the unfortunate resurgence of winter, it's good to have some hearty chili on hand. i followed a recipe, but added chickpeas, extra spice, and added an additional can of creamed corn (an disappointing label change from about a year ago). i found that more time was needed to get the lentils to fully soften, so plan in extra time. in total, the recipe recommends 45 minutes of cooking, but give yourself at least an hour for cooking. in the mean time, see if there are any good movies playing on tbs.

rice krispie treats

2008-03-23T20:23:00.005-04:00

i initially wasn't planning on blogging about this one because it's probably really bad for you, but joe raved about it being the best sweet snack i've ever made. with a review like that, how could i not post it?

these rice krispie treats are very easy, but for some reason mine got really hard after they cooled. next time, as a precaution, i will cut them into squares while they are still warm so they're easier to get apart. about 15 seconds in the microwave was enough to get them soft again. the recipe called for plain rice krispies, but why not enjoy some chocolate with your treat? i used chocolate rice krispies to make these even better.

here's what you need

1 C sugar

1 C peanut butter

1 C corn syrup

6 C rice krispies

here's what to do

mix the sugar, peanut butter, and corn syrup in a sauce pan over low heat until they're well combined. increase the heat and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. boil the mixture for 3 minutes. toss the syrupy mixture with the rice krispies and press them into a greased 9x13 pan.

cheesy sauce

2008-03-20T19:55:00.004-04:00

this is one for the vegans to try. cheese eaters probably won't be convinced, but joe and i thought this was great. it was ready before our pasta finished cooking, so get that started first. we wanted our wheat noodles to be extra cheesy, so we made a double batch, which is what i am posting here.

1/2 C flour

1/2 C nutritional yeast

2 C water

2-3 T earth balance

s&p

paprika

cayenne

i'm not sure how much of each spice we added, but it was quite a bit. just test after each addition.

roasted portobellos

2008-03-18T22:40:00.006-04:00

this is an old dinner, but one well worth posting. a portobello salad from veganomicon (the book of vegan law). the portobellos are roasted in the oven then placed atop a salad of greens, avocado, chickpeas, red onions, and a special dressing. i can post the dressing recipe later, but, for now, here is the mushroom recipe.

1/2 cup cooking wine (i use red)

1 T olive oil

2 T bragg's liquid aminos or soy sauce

2 balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-4 portobellos, depending on size

preheat the oven to 400ºF. marinate the portobellos for about 20 minutes in the smallest glass dish that will fit the mushrooms. be sure to spoon some of the marinade into the caps.

cover the dish with foil and cook for 25 minutes. remove foil, flip the caps, and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes.

if you don't want a salad, use your mushroom to enjoy a portobello burger.

in the peruvian style

2008-03-18T19:15:00.015-04:00

mom and dad enjoy some peruvian delights at the pisac market with one of the 35 kinds of

in cusco (portobello stir fry, fries, and rice) corn found in peru - this one with giant kernels

at some point, i will type up a recipe card for how to prepare tacu tacu. i haven't figured out how i want to word it yet, but i'll let you know that it's so good that joe and i have made it three times since thursday.

tacu tacu was one of the special vegan dishes that i was served at the reserva amazonica resort in peru. it's essentially mashed beans and rice, but it's very flavorful. we served it with left over lime and avocado from lunch.

dlt

2008-03-14T12:33:00.005-04:00

dulse is a salty sea vegetable. for this sandwich, i briefly fried it in olive oil to crisp it up. add hummus, lettuce, tomato, and onion to make dulse into a speedy wrap.

soda cake

2008-03-13T13:20:00.006-04:00

i know this can NEVER compare to dad's cakes, but if you're looking to make a cake and only need two or three ingredients, try this one out.

1 box cake mix (vegans check ingredients)

1 1/4 C diet cola or 7up (depending on color of cake chosen)

try a white cake with crushed up oreos in it. just bake the cake according to the box's instructions. frost it with some homemade frosting or buy a pre-fab can of it (some of those are vegan, too).

soda cakes will have to suffice until another vegan birthday comes along. then one of these oreo cakes might show up.

avocado mango salsa

2008-03-13T11:36:00.005-04:00

clockwise from avocados: avocados, limes, mango, jalapeno, tomato, green onions

instructions: chop things. mix things. add salt. add pepper. add cayenne. grab bag of el matadors. eat.

quick lunch

2008-03-07T18:46:00.006-05:00

mashed black beans with goya sazon con azafran from karis
sauteed veggies (onion, red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes)
corn tortillas
el arriero style green sauce
lime wedges
green things

thrown together in about five minutes, this made a delicious fajita lunch. with cleanup taking even less time, there is now no excuse for laziness.

heavenly brownies

2008-03-07T18:23:00.003-05:00

i made these brownies this week, and they disappeared quickly. the picture shows the gross step of adding the flour paste to the sugar/cocoa/oil mess. needless to say, the final product looked a little bit prettier.

sesame noodles

2008-03-05T13:39:00.007-05:00

a quick recipe that packs a salty sesame-y punch.

AIYaGRICULTURE

2008-03-05T13:30:00.003-05:00