PINEAPPLE-CASHEW-QUINOA STIR-FRY

Yesterday I Made:

PINEAPPLE-CASHEW-QUINOA STIR-FRY for DINNER.

Recipe from Veganomicon.

A South Asian inspired dish with a South American Flair.

Quinoa cooked in pineapple juice.

Then stir-fried with green onions, pineapple chunks, peas, ginger, red chili, basil, red bell pepper, soy sauce, mirin, and toasted cashews.

Interesting mix of flavors that actually turned out quite tasty.

Sweet and spicy, with a hint of saltiness from the soy sauce.

This dish comes together in a flash, as long as you have all the ingredients set up and ready to go.

This dish would be great for a get together or just for a warm summer night.

Although, it sure warmed us up last night after a rainy day in Southern California.

*If you desire a less spicy stir-fry, remember to remove the veins and seeds from the red chili.

HASH BROWNS AND SALAD

Today I Made:

HASH BROWNS AND SALAD WITH ASIAN MIRACLE DRESSING for DINNER.

Interesting combination... breakfast and lunch?

Brunch?

HASH BROWNS and ASIAN MIRACLE recipes both from Vegan Lunch Box.

I make these hash browns at least once a week.

Husband can't get enough of them.

Neither can I.

GUACAMOLE PITA AND SOUTHWESTERN CORN CHOWDER

Today I Made:

GUACAMOLE PITA AND SOUTHWESTERN CORN CHOWDER for DINNER.

Simple guacamole recipe:

-avocado

-diced tomato

-diced onion

-roughly chopped cilantro

-diced fresh jalapeno

-lime juice

-salt and pepper

Mix until smooth and creamy.

I slathered it on a toasted whole wheat pita.

But make sure you cut the pita in half then toast.

This will prevent the pita from puffing up in the toaster.

The recipe for the chowder is from EVERYDAY FOOD MAGAZINE.

This is another example of a 30 minute meal with marvelous results.

Potatoes, carrots, onions, corn, chili powder, and oregano in a creamy soy milk based broth.

Simple ingredients yet full of flavor.

This chowder is pure heaven.

I think this might be one of my favorite meals ever!!!

PIZZA WITH BLACK BEANS, AVOCADO, AND CILANTRO

Today I Made:

PIZZA WITH BLACK BEANS, AVOCADO, AND CILANTRO for DINNER.

Recipe from THE VEGAN GOURMET by SUSANN GEISKOPT-HADLER AND MINDY TOOMAY.

Black beans, olives, tomatoes, green chilies, and avocados on whole wheat pizza.

The dough was homemade, which I think came out a little too doughy and a little too thick.

Interesting ingredients for a pizza.

But they actually worked out.

It was pretty darn good.

KABOCHA

Today I Made:

ROASTED KABOCHA, SALAD, AND BROWN RICE for DINNER.

Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin.

I simply cut the squash in half , then into small slices.

I then added them to a bowl, along with olive oil, salt and pepper ( all to taste ).

Roasted them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

Served them with a salad and brown rice.

*Skin not edible*

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD

Today I Made:

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD for DINNER.

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine.

Classic quick bread with a hint of orange.

Easy to make.

Long to bake.

But, unfortunately, husband didn't care for the hint of orange and I agree with him.

Next time, no orange in the batter.

WALNUT AND BROWN-SUGAR RUGELACH

Today I Made:

WALNUT AND BROWN-SUGAR RUGELACH for DESSERT.

Recipe from EVERYDAY FOOD MAGAZINE, Dec. 2007 issue.

I veganized it by using Earth Balance, vegan cream cheese, and soy milk.

Tasty, small morsels of walnuts, brown sugar, and perfectly browned dough.

Although we loved the end result, the dough was super hard to work with.

It kept falling apart, even after refrigerating it for more than 2 hours.

I blame it on the Earth Balance and vegan cream cheese in the dough.

I definitely will be making rugelach again, but I will using the vegan version found in The Joy of Vegan Baking Cookbook by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

CRISPY TOFU AND GARLICKY GREEN BOK CHOY AND ASPARAGUS

Today I Made:

CRISPY TOFU AND GARLICKY GREEN BOK CHOY AND ASPARAGUS for DINNER.

This is the third time I make this amazing tofu dish.

Crispy, sweet, and oh so sour.

You can find this recipe at VeganYumYum.

For the vegetables, I used my tried and true technique.

Heat olive oil on low and add red chili pepper flakes until fragrant.

Then add minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

Add vegetables and saute until vegetables are al dente.

They taste best when they are slightly crunchy.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

I use this technique for spinach, green beans, sugar snap peas, green beans, and broccolini.

I recommend trying the tofu recipe ASAP!

It's better than anything you can ever order at any restaurant.

UDON

Today I Made:

UDON for DINNER.

Our new favorite emergency dinner.

Done in less than 10 minutes.

Udon are thick Japanese noodles usually served in a soy sauce broth.

All you need is water, light yellow miso paste, packaged udon, green onion, and sesame seeds.

You can find all these ingredients at your local Whole Foods or Japanese market.

Boil the water.

Turn heat off and add 1 tablespoon miso per cup of water and whisk until completely dissolved.

Turn heat back on, add udon and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve in a deep bowl and add sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Fast, easy, filling, and so yummy.

Total comfort food.

GREEK-STYLE QUINOA BURGERS

Today I Made:

GREEK-STYLE QUINOA BURGERS for DINNER.

Recipe from Body+Soul Magazine.

Quinoa, carrots, green onions, navy beans, and spices.

Then topped with a tangy, spicy yogurt sauce and cucumbers and stuffed into a whole wheat pita.

Another simple yet satisfying meal.

This meal will surely be made over and over again.

PUMPKIN BISCOTTI

Last Night I Made:

PUMPKIN BISCOTTI for DESSERT.

Recipe from Everyday Dish TV.

These were sooooo incredible!!!

These aren't just your ordinary everyday pumpkin biscotti.

These, are full of pumpkin, chocolate chips, and pecans.

Biscotti are so easy to make, I have to ask myself why I don't make them more often.

Of course they are best served with a nice cup of hot coffee, latte, espresso, or even hot cocoa.

GARLIC BREAD

Today I Made:

GARLIC BREAD AND SPICY VEGETABLE SOUP for DINNER.

Soup recipe from Karina's Kitchen.

Second time posting this super spicy, but oh-so good soup.

Cabbage, carrots, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, green chilies, and lime.

If you love spicy foods, you'll love this soup.

But the piece de resistance, was the amazing garlic bread.

You don't need a recipe to make it.

All you need is a good crusty whole wheat loaf, Earth Balance, and minced garlic.

Mix the minced garlic and the Earth Balance and smear it on as many slices of bread.

Then, just toast in a toaster oven until light to medium brown.

Goes perfect with soup and pasta dishes.

BEANS, RICE, AND PLANTAINS

Today I Made:

SAUTEED PLANTAINS, VENEZUELAN BROWN RICE, AND SIMPLE BLACK AND PINTO BEANS for DINNER.

All recipes from the June 2008 issue of COOKING LIGHT MAGAZINE.

Creamy, melt in your mouth plantains sauteed in canola oil.

Brown rice flavored with red bell peppers, onions, and salt.

Black and pinto beans full of spices, and even more red bell peppers.

Such a simple and delicious dinner.

WINTER LENTIL SOUP

Today I Made:

WINTER LENTIL SOUP for DINNER.

Recipe from REAL SIMPLE magazine, March 2006 issue.

Leeks, sweet potatoes, kale, and lentils in a rich and flavorful tomato broth.

Perfect soup for a cold fall day.

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLE ENCHILADAS

Today I Made:

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLE ENCHILADAS AND CILANTRO-LIME RICE for DINNER.

Caramelized sweet potatoes, beets, and onions wrapped in a corn tortilla and smothered with a green enchilada sauce and drizzled with a spicy CHIPOTLE CREAM SAUCE.

Recipes from the Nov./Dec 2008 issue of VegNews magazine.

The roasted vegetables gave it a sweet twist.

The chipotles added a hint of smokiness.

The enchilada sauce added tanginess.

And the rice added a citrus surprise.

Another time consuming recipe worth making.

This entire meal turned out delicious and worth repeating.

Husband even asked for seconds.

BLUEBERRY WAFFLES

Today I Made:

BLUEBERRY WAFFLES for BREAKFAST.

Recipe from VeganYumYum.

I used Whole Wheat flour instead of all-purpose and frozen blueberries instead of fresh.

The original recipe also called for a Lemon Icing, but I thought that would be way too sugary for me.

Husband thought I should make it next time.

Reminds him of something you can order at IHOP.

Over all these waffles were excellent.

I ended up topping them with a little Earth Balance, Trader Joe's Organic Maple Syrup and just a few slivered almonds.

*I found a tip to making waffles crispy.

Right before eating them, pop them into a toaster oven for a few minutes and they come out super crispy.

FRONCH TOAST WITH PEANUT BUTTER

Today for BREAKFAST we had leftover FRONCH TOAST from VEGAN WITH A VENGEANCE.

Husband asked for peanut butter.

We've now discovered a new way to eat FRONCH TOAST.

PEANUT BUTTER FRENCH TOAST!!!

QUINOA CAKES

Today I Made:

QUINOA CAKE OVER SMOKY CALYPSO BEAN SAUCE, CURRIED SQUASH, AND MANGO-HABANERO-COCONUT SAUCE for DINNER.

Recipe from THE ARTFUL VEGAN by ERIC TUCKER.

Executive chef of Millenium Restaurant in San Francisco.

The book describes it as being  a Carribbean inspired dish with many layers of flavors.

This dish has so many ingredients and flavors that my head started to spin when I was preparing it.

I counted over 33 ingredients:

1. Habanero chile

2. Mango

3. Coconut Milk

4. Red Onions

5. Garlic

6. Sugar

7. Dried Thyme

8. Ground Allspice

9. Ground Cloves

10. Kidney Beans

11. Vegetable Stock

12. Ground Cumin

13. Fennel seeds

14. Curry Powder

15. Ground Nutmeg

16. Vegetable Oil

17. Yellow Onions

18. Garlic

19. Fresh Ginger

20. Butternut Squash

21. Juice of 1 Orange

22. Collard Greens

23. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

24. Juice of 1 Lemon

25. Celery

26. Carrot

27. Oregano

28. Corn

29. Pistachio nuts

30. Quinoa

31. Corn Masa

32. Salt

33. Pepper

There are 5 different components to this recipe.

1. Mango-Habanero-Coconut Sauce

2. Smoky-Calypso Bean Sauce

3. Curried Winter Squash

4. Collard Greens

5. Quinoa Cakes

To plate the dish, you first spoon the bean sauce into a large pasta bowl. 

Then you mound a small amount of the collard greens in the center of the plate.

The quinoa cake goes on top, then you spoon about 1/2 cup of the squash curry over the cake.

And finally, you drizzle a small amount of the mango sauce over the entire dish.

You can also add some toasted pistachios. 

Overall, it took me 3 hours to complete this dish.

So even though I was tired, it was all worth it when I heard my husband utter these words after taking his first bite, " THIS IS SO ****ING DELICIOUS!"

And I give myself a pat on the back for even trying to accomplish this dish.

If I can cook a gourmet dish, so can YOU!

BANANAS FOSTER CAKE

Today I Made:

BANANAS FOSTER CAKE  for DESSERT.

Recipe from MY SWEET VEGAN by HANNA KAMINSKY.

This cake is for the serious banana lover.

You have banana in the batter.

Banana in the middle of the two layers.

And caramelized banana slices as part of the topping.

I made a few changes to the original recipe:

-I didn't use rum as the recipe called for.

 Husband hates alcohol and any wet cake.

-I used regular butter cream frosting instead of the Caramel Frosting.

-I mashed more bananas and used it to glue the two layers together.

-I used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose.

I did encounter one problem with the frosting.

The recipe says to microwave 1/3cup brown sugar with 1 1/2teaspoons water for 30 to 60 seconds or until sugar dissolves.

Then you let it cool down and add it to the creamed Earth Balance and powdered sugar.

Well, I let the brown sugar mixture cool and it turned rock hard.

I microwaved it for a few seconds more to melt the sugar again.

I let it cool down for a minute then added it to the creamed EB and powdered sugar.

That was the worst thing I could have done.

The frosting turned into a huge mess.

It turned so runny, I had to dump it.

I decided to use a regular butter cream frosting instead.

Overall, the cake turned out great.

The mashed bananas in between the two layers was super creamy and it gave the cake the moisture it needed.

And the caramalized banana slices added a caramel-like flavor to the entire cake.

LINGUINE WITH SAGE AND WHITE BEAN SAUCE

HIS:
HERS:
Today I Made:

LINGUINE WITH SAGE AND WHITE BEAN SAUCE for DINNER.

Recipe from VEGAN PLANET.

Creamy cannellini bean and sage sauce served over whole wheat linguine.

I topped the HIS version with Tofurky Italian Sausage.

Another restaurant quality dish.

So easy to make, but so gourmet.

BAKED MILLET AND SWEET POTATO BURGERS

Today I Made:

BAKED MILLET AND SWEET POTATO BURGERS AND MIXED GREEN SALAD for DINNER.

Recipe from THE VEGAN GOURMET.

Flavorful millet, sweet potato, lime juice, chile powder, garlic and more spices.

Original recipe called for a spinach and cilantro sauce to be pour over the patties and served as is.

Once I tasted the sauce, I knew that it wasn't going to be our liking.

So, I turned the dish into a burger with Vegenaise, avocado, and salad.

It was THE best burger ever!!!

The patties were so flavorful and the color so rich.

Overall, the patties, along with the burger, was a total gourmet experience.

HOUSE POTATOES

Today I Made:

HOUSE POTATOES, TOFURKY BREAKFAST LINKS, PUMPKIN PANCAKES, AND COFFEE for BREAKFAST.

I tried to recreate the house potatoes served at HERBIVORE GRILL in SAN FRANCISCO.

I posted about this great vegan restaurant here.

They turned out exactly the same... delicious!!!

HOUSE POTATO recipe:

-Peel and wash potatoes.

-Boil them for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked but not falling apart.

You want them to keep their shape.

-Drain and let cool completely.

-Slice into thin slices, then cut each slice in half so you end up with half moon shapes.

-Heat a large skillet on meddium-high heat, then add Earth Balance and a small amount of     canola oil.

-When skillet is hot, but not smoking, add the potatoes and smash into a single layer.

Add salt and pepper to taste and cover for about 5 minutes, or until bottom layer turns lightly   brown.

-Turn potatoes and cover for another 5 minutes, or until lightly brown.

-Remove from skillet, sprinkle with cilantro or parsley and top with ketchup or salsa. 

Use any amount of potatoes, Earth Balance, salt and pepper.

It's all to taste.

The only thing that changes are the cooking times.

Serve with Tofurky Breakfast Links and Pumpkin pancakes for a complete breakfast.

This was our first time trying the links.

Actually, I dislike faux meats, so these were more for my husband.

He ended up not being to crazy about them.

He prefers the Tofurky Italian Sausages and Trader Joe's Soyrisso.

I don't remember where I found the recipe for the pancakes.

But when I do, I'll post the link.

Because, they are amazing.

HOMINY AND TOMATILLO STEW WITH PUMPKIN SEEDS

Today I Made:

HOMINY AND TOMATILLO STEW WITH PUMPKIN SEEDS for DINNER.

Recipe from THE VEGAN GOURMET.

Hominy in a rich and thick broth made out of pumpkin seeds, spinach, tomatillos,  serrano chiles, and spices.

The original recipe called for sorrel, but I used spinach instead.

I topped  the stew with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and lime juice.

This stew was sooooooooo goooooooood!!!

I thought my husband wasn't going to like it, because he doesn't care for tomatillos too much.

But, he took one spoonful and said, " THIS STEW IS GOOOD!!!!"

Then, he said, "THIS IS GOURMET QUALITY!"

You can bet, that I'm going to make this over and over and over again.

CORN AND POTATO CAKES WITH SOUTHWEST SEASONINGS

Today I Made:

CORN AND POTATO CAKES WITH SOUTHWEST SEASONINGS for BREAKFAST.

Frozen corn, potatoes, red bell pepper, cilantro, soy milk, and spices.

Topped with more Tofutti sour cream and chipotle sauce.

Recipe from THE VEGAN GOURMET by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay.

This recipe is so amazing. 

Just a few simple ingredients and you get a gourmet breakfast.

We loved these so much, we're having them for dinner.

*Sorry, no figures today.*

comment tag

Comment tag from previous post has been removed.

Don't know why.

So if you want to leave a post about last nights dinner, feel free to leave it here.

BROCCOLINI AND WHITE BEAN PIZZA

Today I Made:

BROCCOLINI AND WHITE BEAN PIZZA for DINNER.

Another recipe from Vegan Planet.

The original recipe called for broccoli rabe, but I couldn't get ahold of any.

No side salad needed with this pizza.

You have all the greens you need right on top plus protein from the beans.

We had an awesome Japanese persimmon, or KAKI, for a mid afternoon snack.

It was incredibly sweet and refreshing.

I LOVE persimmons!

Can't wait for the rest of the batch to ripen.

Today I Made:

POBLANOS STUFFED WITH CUMIN AND ORANGE-SCENTED RICE AND A MIXED GREEN SALAD for DINNER.

The poblano dish is another recipe from VEGAN PLANET.

Poblanos stuffed with brown rice, onions, carrots, oranges, orange zest, and spices.

I topped them with Tofutti sour cream and pomegranate seeds.

This dish was not as impressive as I thought it was going to be.

It sort of tasted a little bland.

I think the addition of the oranges and the fact that the rice blend was a little dry, didn't help it either.

Overall you could say that it is pretty forgettable.

On the upside, the salad was amazing.

I used a mixed green salad blend, julienned  jicama, red onion, pomegranate seeds, and our favorite, ASIAN MIRACLE DRESSING.

Those little pomegranate seeds made this salad special.

Wish they were around year round.

ROASTED CORN CHOWDER AND SKILLET CORNBREAD WITH SMOKED CHILES

Today I Made:

ROASTED CORN CHOWDER AND SKILLET CORNBREAD WITH SMOKED CHIPOTLE for DINNER.

Both recipes are from VEGAN PLANET by ROBIN ROBERTSON.

The chowder was both creamy and chunky.

Topped with diced tomatoes and green onions.

This was the BEST we have ever had.

Restaurant quality.

The cornbread turned out just slightly spicy.

If you zoom into the cornbread pics, you can see the chopped chioptle.

Both recipes are keepers and we can't wait to have leftovers tomorrow.

CURRY HOUSE

Today for LUNCH we ate at Curry House in Little TOKYO, in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

This restaurant specializes in Japanese curry,served over rice or spaghetti.

This restaurant used to be our favorite before we went vegan.

We used to eat here at least once every 2 weeks.

We even had our rehearsal dinner here 10 years ago.

That's how much we loved it.

We had to stop eating here because they only serve WHITE rice, which we don't eat.

But recently, our friends had dinner there and informed us that they recently added BROWN rice to the menu.

But, you have to pay $1.00 extra.

So, we decided to have lunch here today.

We both ordered the MILD VEGETABLE CURRY OVER BROWN RICE AND ICED GREEN TEA.

Potatoes, green beans, corn, and baby carrots in curry sauce and  topped with pickled radishes.

*When you order curry here, you asked if you want it mild, medium or hot.

I contacted Curry House recently and they informed me that the MILD is the only VEGAN option.

Over all, we thought the curry was good, but not great.

We prefer it spicier, but for obvious reasons, we have to stick with the mild curry.

But we love the fact that we can order brown rice now.

So, I guess you say that WE"RE BACK, CURRY HOUSE!!!!