WHOLE WHEAT PENNE WITH SPINACH-BASIL PESTO

Today I Made:

WHOLE WHEAT PENNE WITH SPINACH-BASIL PESTO and SPINACH STRAWBERRY SALAD for DINNER.

This pesto was super easy to make.

1 cup loosely packed basil+2 cups spinach+3 cloves garlic+1/4 cup pecans+salt+pepper+ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil= THE BEST PESTO SAUCE EVER!

Process all ingredients ( except olive oil ) in food processor until thoroughly mixed.

Slowly add olive oil while machine is on until completely blended.

Pour over hot pasta and serve.

So simple and tasty.

VEGETARIAN PHO

Today I Made:

VEGETARIAN PHO for DINNER.

Recipe from VEGETARIAN TIMES Jan./Feb. 2008 issue.

Light vegetable broth.

Thin rice noodles.

Topped with watercress, green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, red onion, and lime.

BAKED SWEET POTATO ROUNDS

Today I Made:

BAKED SWEET POTATO ROUNDS WITH BROWN SUGAR, CINNAMON AND PECANS for DESSERT.

I baked whole sweet potatoes wrapped in foil for 1 hour at 400 degrees.

I let them cool completely.

Peeled and cut them into rounds.

Plated them on a microwave safe plate.

Sprinkled brown sugar, cinnamon and topped with pecans.

Then I microwaved them 2 minutes.

Simple and delicious.

CRUMB-TOPPED BROWNIES

Today I Made:

CRUMB-TOPPED BROWNIES for DESSERT.

Recipe from MY SWEET VEGAN by HANNAH KAMINSKY.

I made one substitution:

Used cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips.

These brownies were a little too sweet and not dense enough.

My husband had 2 servings, so I guess that means that he liked them.

KALE SALAD WITH ORANGE-BLACKBERRY VINAIGRETTE

Today I Made:

KALE SALAD WITH ORANGE-BLACKBERRY VINAIGRETTE for DINNER. 

Recipe from VeganYumYum.

This salad was full of flavors and textures.

Crunchy, soft, melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

Sweet, tart, and sour.

Perfect summer salad.

Too bad we had a freak storm here in Los Angeles.

Rain, hail, thunder, lighting, and even a few tornadoes here and there.

ROASTED TOMATILLO AND PINTO BEAN TACOS

Today I Made:

ROASTED TOMATILLO AND PINTO BEAN TACOS for DINNER.

Original recipe from VEGETARIAN TIMES May 2008 issue.

I made a few substitutions:

-Pinto beans instead of black beans.

-Guacamole instead of plain avocado.

Taco are stuffed with Pinto beans, roasted onion, RED bell pepper, corn, guacamole, and the roasted tomatillo salsa.

For the second picture I heated the tortilla on a grill pan over medium heat until each side hardened, thus turning it into a UNFRIED tostada.

Then I layered the beans and the rest of the toppings.

The tomatillo salsa was sour, spicy, and tangy.

Overall, this turned out great.

NATIVE AMERICAN TOASTED-PECAN SOUP

Today I Made:

NATIVE AMERICAN TOASTED-PECAN SOUP for DINNER.

Recipe from VEGETARIAN TIMES Jan./Feb. 2008 issue.

This is more like a CREAM OF PECAN soup.

Topped with green onions and a pecan half.

The flavor was good.

But I think it is more of a side soup than a main dish.

CHOCOLATE COVERED ORGANIC STRAWBERRIES

Today I Made:

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES for DESSERT.

No recipe needed for this dessert.

Just melt some high quality DARK chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave.

Dip washed and dried strawberries in the chocolate.

Sprinkle some coconut or any other topping ( nuts ). 

Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until chocolate is rock hard.

Make sure you use EXTRA LARGE  ORGANIC strawberries.

Long stem if you can find them.

VEGGIE PAN BAGNAT

Today I Made:

VEGGIE PAN BAGNAT for DINNER.

Recipe from VEGETARIAN TIMES July/August 2006 issue.

I made a few changes to the original recipe:

Zucchini instead of eggplant.

Garbanzo dip instead of the olive spread.

This sandwich was okay.

You have to refrigerate it for 1 hour to 4 hours.

So the bread is really cold, which we weren't  fond of.

We also had a quick salad on the side.

Overall DINNER was a 4 out of 10.

I don't think I'll be making this again.

GOURMET BLACK BEAN BURGERS

Today I Made:

GOURMET BLACK BEAN BURGERS for DINNER.

Patty recipe from vegetarian.about.com.

I almost always use this recipe for any type burger I make.

It's tasty and it uses pantry ingredients.

What make this burger gourmet are the condiments:

Roasted bell pepper

Caramelized onions

Thinly sliced tomatoes

Arugula dressed with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

No ketchup, mustard, or pickles needed.

NAVY BEAN BANANA CAKE

Today I Made:

NAVY BEAN BANANA CAKE for DESSERT.

Recipe from EARTHLY DELIGHT.

Such an interesting recipe.

Full of banana flavor, crunchy walnuts, and sweet strawberry jam.

The texture is not like a typical cake.

Very smooth and creamy with a slight crunch from the walnuts.

I will definitely make this again.

For DINNER tonight we had the  SPICY VEGETABLE SOUP WITH LIME from Karinas Kitchen.

This is the second time I make this.

It's SUPER spicy and SUPER delicious!

GENTIL LENTIL BALL SUB

Today I Made:

GENTIL LENTIL BALL SUB and WHOLE FOODS WAFFLE FRIES for DINNER.

Recipe from Meatout Mondays.

The lentil balls are a mixture of lentils, brown rice, red and green bell peppers, onions, and spices, topped with a spicy marinara sauce.

Much healthier than a traditional meatball sub.

And much tastier.

CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE CHIP-WALNUT COOKIES

Today I Made:

CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE CHIP-WALNUT COOKIES for DESSERT.

Recipe from VEGANOMICON by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

Deep, dark, and full of chocolate chips and walnuts.

Perfect cookies!!!

PAD THAI

Today I Made:

PAD THAI for DINNER.

Recipe from THE COMPLETE VEGAN KITCHEN by Jannequin Bennett.

First time making pad Thai.

I don't know if they'll be a second.

It was a little too dry for my taste buds. 

I should have doubled the sauce.

UPSIDE DOWN CARAMELIZED BANANA CHOCOLATE CAKE

Today I Made:

UPSIDE DOWN CARAMELIZED BANANA CHOCOLATE CAKE for DESSERT.

Recipe from glivingtv.com.

This caught my eye, because whose ever heard of Upside Down Banana Cake?

The topping has an ever so delicate crunch, similar to eating some Sugar in the Raw.

Bananas are sweet and creamy.

The cake is super moist.

What an amazing dessert.

I'm in love with it.

ZESTY QUINOA WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES AND ASPARAGUS

Today I Made:

ZESTY QUINOA WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES AND ASPARAGUS for LUNCH.

Original recipe from WHOLE FOODS.

The original recipe called for broccoli, cashews, and green onions.

I used asparagus instead of the broccoli.

And I didn't have any green onions or cashews.

The sun dried tomatoes adds so much to this recipe.

This dish is fast and easy to make.

Full of flavor and certainly memorable.